When Angels Fall
by ObliviousOwlet
Summary: It's been roughly a year since the incident at Krei Tech, and Hiro's doing well. That is, if you count crippling social anxiety and terrible aliases 'doing well'. Even so, it's not that bad... until the bodies start to pile up. Who's so desperate to get Hiro's attention that they'll freely murder to get a message across? (Rated T for violence)(Part 1 of the Shattered AU)
1. A Waste of Gummy Bears

The sky was gray. Despite all of the news channels forecasting clear skies and blue, the dark gray overcast was undeniably pressing on all sides. The fact that, being San Fransokyo, it was generally warmer than most places didn't help much either. All in all, the hot humid climate made for an unpleasant morning.

Even more so when you have a team behind you, not-so-subtly pressing you to make a public appearance.

"They've already gotten interviews of the rest of us, you'd think that the team leader would be willing to step up and pitch in."

"I recognize that, GoGo, but I'm kind of busy."

"Hiro, you're lying on top of a beanbag chair with a package of gummy bears."

Hiro looked indignantly in her direction, clutching the bag of chewy confections. "This is important stuff! I've been working almost all day, and I think that warrants a break."

GoGo rolled her eyes and walked to his side until she was staring down at him-something she rather enjoyed, as it was something she wasn't able to do very often. It was rather enjoyable, she had decided, to have someone else taking all of the short jokes.  
"Perhaps, but my point still stands. Everyone else on the team has made a public appearance and sworn that their only intention is to help. Can't you see the position you're putting yourself in? People are beginning to get suspicious. You can see why they'd be a little scared of a vigilante with your tech," she continued, as Hiro swallowed his rather large handful of sweets. "All they want is a statement."

"Oh, yes," Hiro muttered sarcastically, reaching for another gummy bear. "Because of course they're completely terrified of a 5'2" guy in shorts and a purple chestplate, flying around on the back of a giant marshmallow-man."

"A giant marshmallow-man with rocket fists and experience in martial arts," GoGo reminded him. "All we're asking is that you accept one of the invitations for an interview. You don't even have to do that, just stick around for five minutes after taking down a bank robber or something. Don't be so antisocial, Hamada."

"I'm not antisocial," Hiro insisted, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "I have a completely valid reason."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"For starters, if Aunt Cass saw the interview, shed know immediately it's me."

GoGo opened her mouth, ready with a sarcastic retort, but stopped, realizing that he was completely correct—his aunt was very perceptive, recognizing when he was hiding something almost immediately. "Okay, I'll give you that one. Just make sure she doesn't see the interview, then."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. I tend to stick out like a sore thumb. I'd be instantly recognizable from anything—a picture, an interview, I just have a sense of 'uniqueness' that makes me stand out in a crowd."

GoGo raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so modest, Hiro, tell me what you really think," she muttered under her breath. "You say 'unique' like it's a bad thing."

"That's because it is! I have a certain way of saying things that makes my conversations obviously me. It's amazing that no one has figured out already," Hiro replied agitatedly, taking a breath before continuing. "I can't imagine there being several kid geniuses in town with the intellect to create mech-suits and being as short as I happen to be."

"But how would they know that you're a kid genius, and how would they know that you're the one who built all the mech-suits?"

_"Because you guys said so in your interviews!"_

That wasn't entirely true—Fred had been the only one to reveal these little tidbits. They hadn't seemed important at the time, but as he was going on about their leader's massive brainpower, he began stating that he had even created all of their tech for them: incredible, really, for someone so young. After which, GoGo had almost broken his nose.

It was a miracle that Aunt Cass had been especially busy when the news came out, and since then, comic enthusiasts were scrambling to find out what the identities of these superheroes were. Luckily, due to a knack for hacking into databases, Hiro had managed to keep his own name out of the larger fan theory sites. But it wouldn't be much longer before the pieces came together.

GoGo had a surprisingly hard time combating this argument—although she knew for a fact that the main reason he wasn't making an appearance was because of social anxiety. So, instead of arguing further, she snatched the bag of gummy bears from the fifteen-year old's hands.

"You're not getting these back until you make an appearance."

Hiro didn't respond for a few seconds, then, without breaking eye contact, reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out another bag, opened it, and poured a good amount into his mouth.

"Yo're goin do haf to do better zhan zhat," he announced, mouth full.

Disgusted, GoGo turned on her heel and left, throwing the bag of candy into the trashcan as she exited the room. After swallowing, Hiro leaned back again and sighed.

"What a waste of perfectly good sweets," he muttered, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "I'm going to get her back for that one day. Maybe I'll take her gum and put it on a high shelf."

"I feel the need to point out that she has a point."

Hiro's eyes shot open, and he frantically glanced around the room, his gaze finally resting on his balloon-esque robot friend.

"Baymax," he sighed with relief. "You gave me a heart attack."

"I am assuming you are referring to the expression for being startled, rather than the physical medical condition," the over-sized marshmallow replied, with something resembling sarcasm.

"Yes, Baymax," Hiro responded, amused. _I think I may have been a bad influence. Baymax is actually sassing me. I'm being sassed by a robot._ "That is what I'm referring to."

"In which case, I apologize for any distress I have caused you."

"Nah, it's... it's fine. What is it that were you saying?" Hiro asked, reclining back to resume his snack break.

"I was simply pointing out that Leiko Tomago's argument was a solid one as well."

"Leiko? You mean..." It took an embarrassing amount of time for Hiro to register who he was talking about, after which he let out a long "Oh" of understanding. "Right. That's her... Baymax, just call her GoGo in the future, okay?"

"Will that cause less confusion?" The vinyl robot tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

"Most certainly."

"In which case, GoGo Tomago's argument had a solid foundation."

Hiro slowly got up out of the beanbag chair, stretching. "I agree, but so did mine."

"Perhaps you should at least release a statement."

"Or..." Hiro tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I could not, and say that I did."

"But what would be that point of that?"

Not entirely sure how to respond to that, Hiro sighed, deciding to end the conversation before he got too confused. "...I am satisfied with my care."

* * *

"H-2?"

"No, too simple."

"The Flying Fuschia Fish?"

"...Fred, I graduated high school at thirteen, and I still can't make sense of that. Fish?"

"It starts with F, doesn't it?"

"Whatever," Hiro sighed, rolling his eyes.

Fred sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You're right, it's a little weird. I'm having trouble coming up with a nickname for you."

"Is it because of the fact that you can't really get a nickname out of a four-letter word, or because you can't describe me?"

"Both. But then, Honey Lemon's name is only four letters," Fred mused. "Everyone else was relatively easy."

"...Except for Tadashi, of course," Hiro said, smiling. "You never gave him a nickname, so maybe it just runs in the family."

"No," Fred replied, "I came up with one for him, too."

Hiro felt his eyes grow a little wider. This was news to him. "What was his nickname?"

Fred glanced at the kid genius, confused. "He never told you?" As he shook his head, the redhead felt a sly smirk drift across his features. "You know how whenever he gets going on something, he can't focus on anything else?"

"Yes," Hiro replied, wincing. He remembered several times walking into his brother's side of the room, only to be ignored because he was working on something. He wasn't trying to do it, he just had a severe case of one-mindedness. He literally could not notice anything once he had something in his sights. It had several benefits—being able to finish papers due the following day in merely an hour or two, and finishing projects early. But it also had it's drawbacks, like not noticing when someone was talking, or, in a few cases, not seeing trees right in front of him, resulting in several collisions.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Fred said thoughtfully, "After a good five minutes of intense thinking-"

"A dangerous pastime."

"I decided to call him 'Tunnel Vision'."

Hiro fell silent for a couple seconds, and Fred thought he might be offended at the fun being poked at his late brother, then the Mechanical Engineering major doubled over laughing. "That... That's very accurate."

"Of course it is," said Fred, sounding slightly miffed, but feeling secretly relieved. "Why do you think I come up with all the nicknames?"

"I don't get it though," Hiro responded, recovering from his fit of laughter. "It was perfect. Why didn't I ever hear you guys using it?"

"Because 'Tadashi' is only three syllables, whereas 'Tunnel Vision' is four," Fred explained. "Saved time, and, of course, calling him 'Tunnel' for short was kind of confusing, so it wasn't very accurate unless you used the whole name."

Hiro chuckled again, then drifted off into silence. Finally, he spoke up again. "...I kind of need your help with something."

Fred looked up from his bag of Doritos, confused at the sudden change of topic. "Of course, little man. What is it?"

Wincing at the subtle attack on his size, Hiro took a deep breath. "Well, GoGo and the others have been pressuring me into making a public statement."

"It would really help ease the tension, Hiro."

"I know," he replied. "I can see why, as well, but I'm already just barely under the radar. If I make a statement, people will recognize me."

Fred finally saw the problem, and leaned back, smiling. "Then why don't you do an online conference?"

"A what?"

"You know," the red-headed English major replied. "You'll go onto one of those fan theory sites and volunteer to make a statement there. It can all be via voice chat or even just by text, and no one ever sees your face. Even if you use the voice chat, you can use a voice modulator, so that your actual voice doesn't even come across."

Hiro blinked a few times, then felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as relief washed over him. "You know what, Fred, that's the best idea I've heard all day. Why didn't I think of that before?"

"You brother had the same issue as well," Fred commented, relieved that the issue was resolved. "He'd think way too much. Looks like you have the same problem."

"Looks like it. Of course," Hiro replied with a smirk, "You don't have that problem."

"Hey, not being a nerd has perks as well."

* * *

To say it had taken a while to convince them would be an understatement. Hiro had spent hours on the fan theory site, being pelted with various trivia that only the real leader of Big Hero 6 would know... Which were mainly question evolving around his suit and rescues he had done. Finally, after answering an especially easy question revolving around Baymax's rocket thrusters, the moderators of the site were convinced that he was, in fact, the real thing.

He had had to go through a video chat with the moderators, but luckily, Hiro had the good sense to tint his visor so that it was impossible to see his face through the opaque glass. The modulator attached to it... not so much.  
He had spent so much time working on the tech involving his visor that he had completely forgotten about the modulator, and thus spent the five minutes before the scheduled conference working on a very quick, simple voice modifier. As a result of this, he ended up sounding vaguely like Darth Vader.

But the fans just ate it up, thrilled that they were listening to their hero speak—even if his voice was heavily edited. In the end, after conferring with the moderators, he had opted for a voice chat, which would last for half an hour and consist of a Q&amp;A, a statement on how he was sworn to protect the citizens of San Fransokyo, and an advertisement for Pizza Hut.

The questions varied from completely serious to extremely random and zany. And, of course, he answered each and every one with equal seriousness.

"What is your superhero name?"  
_"Well, to be entirely honest, the team hasn't really decided yet. Anything but 'The Purple Parasite' or 'The Flying Fuchsia Fish'."_

"What was your lowest moment?"  
_"I had a moment while apprehending the Yokai where I lost control. I'd have to call that the lowest moment in my recent memory. Of course, I've probably had worse breakdowns before that."_

"In a fight between a grilled cheese and a taco, who would win?"  
_"Grilled Cheese—in a fair fight. But if it were prison rules, I would have to put my money on the Taco."_

Finally, after unenthusiastically stating how much he loved pizza and swearing to uphold the laws of the city, he signed off, thanking each of his fans for listening in... and secretly despising the fact that he was even there in the first place.  
Relieved that the ordeal was over, Hiro took off his helmet, placed it on his desk, then walked to his beanbag chair and fell into it, face-down, before falling asleep.

* * *

_The Sukōchi smiled to himself as he listened to the Leader's first—and final—public statement. The voice modulator was not a very good one, obviously hastily set up, but it was enough to disguise his tones from anyone without superior intellect._

_Unfortunately for him, the Sukōchi was very, very intelligent. He ran the voice-prints through his programs, listening to each little adjustment to the original recording. Then, after a good five minutes, the modulation was erased, and he could hear everything._

_"Well, I've had fun talking to you all. It's great to have your support behind me. Clear skies, everyone!"_

_The Sukōchi stood up straight, almost hitting his hairless head against the makeshift wooden ceiling he had set up, his eyes widening behind his gray mask. He took a step away from the screen, then quickly moved closer, pulled up a picture of the Big Hero 6, and zoomed in on the smallest member._

There's no doubt now. I had my suspicions, but... I'd know that voice anywhere. It all fits.

The Leader is Hiro Hamada.


	2. In Which We Discover the First Body

**_[Hello, everyone! I realize that this chapter is relatively short, and I apologize, but I'm hoping to get in some more time to write longer chapters in the future! To be honest, I'm kind of at a loss for a superhero name for Hiro, so any suggestions would be great! Please read and review, and thank you for reading!]_**

* * *

_The large botfighter was running as fast as his legs could carry him—which, admittedly, was not actually that fast. Yama was an expert in keeping out of the public eye, and although there had been several close calls with the police, he had, for the most part, been able to escape their hands._

_But he wasn't running from the police this time._

_The man behind him was tall—not as tall as he was, but at least 6'3", making it easier for him to clear the low ceilings. He lacked the extra weight as well, making him all the more agile and able to do more than keep up. The rocket boots weren't helping much, either._

_Oh, I forgot to mention the rocket boots, didn't I? Yama's pursuer was clad in black robes, but if he were to take off his cloak, we would see that he was protected by dark red and orange armor underneath, not unlike that of the Big Hero 6. His mask, on the other hand... was something different._

_It was ash-gray, intricately shaped and painted so that it resembled rough stone, with blood-red stripes marking the cheeks—as if the statue-esque figure was crying silent tears of pain. The mask was set into a grim frown, with no other features marking it—other than the opaque red glass set behind the eyes, giving the pursuer a supernatural leer._

_On his feet were a pair of black boots, with rocket thrusters built in, and deadly looking spikes running the length of the back. _

_Not a figure you would want to meet on the street, but somehow, Yama had managed to do just that. After an especially successful night of destroying every other robot in the ring, he had picked up Little Yama and set out for his 'lair', eager for a night away from the hustle and bustle of an illegal botfighting ring—not that he didn't enjoy it. _

_He tucked the small robot into his satchel and set out, walking to a more busy street to call a cab. He never got there._

_As he walked past a dark alley, he heard the subtle slither of a knife against leather. Immediately turning, pistol in hand, he fired off two shots at his attacker. Silence reigned, and, certain that whoever had been following him was done for, he pushed his pistol into his pocket, listening to the silence that usually followed. What he hadn't heard was the sharp ping of the bullets hitting super-light metal armor._

_The knife-wielder carefully slid out of the alley, and then's when the crime lord started. Yama had taken several steps back, taken off guard at the mask, then immediately replied by regaining his hold on his gun—which was thereby knocked out of his hand by a twitch of his attacker's hand. That's when he began to run._

_Inside the nearest building, the walls were closing in on him(or so it seemed) and the ceilings were low, making it a difficult place to maneuver, especially for one of his... generous...ness. He turned a corner, running for the nearest exit, only to find it blocked off._

_He heard the steps behind him, and felt his heart begin to pound even more than it already had been. Then, his voice—the man behind him had a voice like nails on a chalkboard—echoed off the walls._

"_Yama."_

"_What do you want with me?" the man snarled, turning to look at his assassin. "If you want money, I can give you money."_

_Yama could have sworn the man was smiling. "Oh, but Yama. I don't want your money. I'm already aware of the fact that about half of it is counterfeit."_

_The crime lord winced. The man's voice was growing more unbearable by the second. It was low, raspy. If it weren't for the fact that they were in a closed space, he might not have heard it at all. Even more strange, he was inhaling deeply, but he was still breathless. He hesitated before speaking. "Then... what _do _you want?"_

_The man remained impassive. "You do realize that you are a scumbag, right, Yama?"_

_So that was it. A revenge plot. Yama was well aware of the fact that he had caused the deaths and injuries of many people, and of couse some of those people had families. He had dealt with this before, but not on a level like this. "I have been told so."_

_The man paused for a second, then flicked his hand ever so slightly, revealing a hidden blade in the wrist. Before Yama could move or even cry out, the assassin plunged the blade deep into his chest. Blue fabric was stained with scarlet as the crime lord staggered back, the knife lodging a millimeter below his heart. He wasn't even able to scream, only let out a sharp groan of pain before falling, lifeless, to the ground. He felt the blade leave his body, then enter again, this time with a note attached to the handle._

_The last sight he saw as he lay, face-up, on the concrete floor was his attacker smoothly removing his mask and staring down at him._

_With the last of his energy, the crime lord finally let out a scream._

* * *

"The victim is a Mr. Yama, a well-known crime lord in this area. He was last seen by one of our agents last night around midnight at a botfight."

"Was there gambling?"

"What do you think? He was found at around 7:30 this morning by a woman who works here."

Hiro frowned. "I'm familiar with Yama—I've had a run-in with him in the past. What I don't understand is why he was in a health insurance building in the first place."

The officer shrugged. "There are security cameras here, of course. We could check those, but..."

"But?"

"But they seem to have been wiped out," the officer finished, sliding a pencil behind her ear. "Being the genius that you are, surely you could attempt to recover the footage?"

Not entirely sure if the officer was making fun of him or not, the college student shrugged. "It's a probability. I am very confident in my abilities, but it depends on the damage."

During the aftermath of Callaghan's arrest, Hiro and the gang had found out that, despite what they had expected, they could stay on as vigilante superheroes—so long as they were registered with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. Which, of course, meant that they had to give out their secret identities. Surprisingly enough, they found the organization had dealt with several teams before this, and so understood the importance of keeping their identities secret.

That is, secret to everyone who wasn't part of the SFPD.

Thus, despite the legal difficulties, they were involved in certain cases as the authorities saw fit to allow them. Which were surprisingly few, but as soon as Hiro had heard about the murder of the former crime lord, he had insisted on helping out.

"Was there any sign of a struggle?"

"Not really, no," the officer admitted, chewing on her lip. "There were a few plants knocked over by the door, where he must have come in. That suggests he was being chased, but around the area of the murder, there are no signs of anything being knocked over. Apparently, the pool of blood isn't even that large."

"You haven't seen the body?"

"No, I was waiting for you." Hiro frowned, and, after quickly explaining where he was going, walked down the hall to look at the damage.

_Really, they're lucky. A few plants, a single partition. Other than that, there isn't really anything to clean up other than the blood. Wait... What's that?_

"Officer Duncan?"

The policewoman tailing him was at his side in an instant as he knelt on the ground. "What are you looking at?"

Wordlessly, Hiro pointed out a large burn mark on the floor. "Now what do you think could have caused that?"

"It looks like a scorch mark. Perhaps someone dropped something hot?"

"No, no," Hiro muttered, eyes narrowing. "This was caused by a fire. See how it angles like this around the turn? It was caused when the flame got too close as he-" Hiro paused as the officer shot him a glare. "...Or she... was turning a corner."

"I'm not sure what exactly it is that you're implying," the officer said, confused. "The attacker had flaming feet?"

"Not exactly," Hiro amended. "I think they were wearing rocket boots."

"And you know this how?"

"Simple," Hiro replied, smiling. "I invented them."

"Right," Officer Duncan muttered, rolling her eyes. "Yet another invention of yours used for evil. God help us all if anyone gets their hands on that robot of yours."

"Baymax isn't mine."

"Fair point," Duncan responded. Suddenly, their banter was interrupted by a young man in a lab coat hurriedly tapping the officer's shoulder.

"Duncan, you're going to want to see something. Bring Hamada with you."

"Right," Hiro muttered, following the agitated Forensic Specialist. "Because even the forensics team know who I am now."

"It could be worse. We could have told the coroner." Duncan smiled fondly, thinking of the field day the press would have if he had gotten a hold on that information.

"God help us all."

Finally, turning the final corner, Hiro entered the crime scene, barely even having to duck under the police tape—perhaps being short had it's advantages. His eyes widened slightly by the bloodied Yama, but he forced down his revulsion to walk by him. "What's the info?"

"They found this on the body." The high-strung Forensics Specialist nervously pressed a bloodied note into his hand. The younger Hamada nodded in thanks, then glanced at the note—and froze.

Suddenly, Hiro took a step back, dazed. Duncan stepped to his side, steadying him by placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to read the piece of paper. She let out a soft gasp of surprise as he lost his grip on the note and leaned against the wall to stop the room from spinning.

"Hiro, are you okay? Hiro?"

Silence met her, and she picked up the piece of paper which had fluttered onto the ground, her eyes running over the paper.

"Oh. Oh, no, This isn't good."

Written in bright red ink was the message: _'Tell Hiro Hamada his secret is out.'_

* * *

**_[Note: Yes, I know that the Big Hero 6 movie probably doesn't occur in the same universe as the rest of the Marvel Universe, even though the comics do. I may or may not(Just kidding, I did) have ignored that fact and introduced it into the rest of the Marvel Universe. Sue me.]_**

**_[Second Note: I also recognize that SHIELD. does not make an appearance in the movie. I also recognize that SHIELD. does not make an appearance in the comics. However, I feel the need to point out that the comics take place in Japan, while the movie takes place in America. Therefore, while it makes sense that SHIELD. would not show up in the comics, they should continue to exist in the time that the movie takes place-if, in fact, it did take place in the Marvel Universe.]_**

**_[Third Note: Involving the team's registration with SHIELD. Yes, Superhero teams for the most part have to be registered with SHIELD. If I remember correctly, it was in 'Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' where the Avengers were never brought together by SHIELD. They actually came together on their own, and never were an official extension of SHIELD. They were left on their own for the most part, due to Fury's confidence in them, but after Fury disappeared(for reasons I will not divulge), Director Hill revealed that, in fact, superhero teams had to be registered with SHIELD. Thus, the registration, and the involvement with the local police.]_**

**_[So, yes, I stretched the canon a lot here. I apologize, and if you have any criticism concerning this, please PM me, and we can discuss it. Thanks for reading!]_**


	3. Suspect Acquired

_**[A wild author's note has appeared once more! I'd like to thank you guys for the support, and present my third chapter. I know it's short, I'll try to write a longer chapter as soon as I get around to it. Now sit back and laugh at Hiro's attempt at cooking.]**_

* * *

"What I don't understand is why," Honey Lemon said, frowning. "Why Yama, of all people? I mean you'd think that if they wanted the message to get across, they'd have chosen someone closer."

Hiro shrugged. "I wouldn't know, although I am glad that they didn't. And that's why I'm asking for your guys' help."

"Lose the attitude, short stuff," GoGo muttered, popping a bubble.

"Do you really feel the need to go there, Miss 5'4"?"

"Anyways," Wasabi interjected before GoGo could bash Hiro's head in, "I'm thinking that it was mainly to catch Hiro's attention."

"That's what I was thinking, but my involvement in botfighting isn't very well known," Hiro pointed out. "I mean, other than Aunt Cass, you guys, and a select few police officers, that information is..." He trailed off as the gang glanced at each other uneasily. "What? What is it?"

They didn't reply, and finally something clicked. "...Exactly how many people did Tadashi tell?"

"Well, he wasn't exactly withholding the details from anyone. "

Hiro groaned and leaned back on the living room couch. After looking at the crime scene, he had called the team in for a meeting to decide on a course of action. Aunt Cass was out for the evening, and had agreed to the get-together-just so long as Hiro promised not to blow anything up. He had managed not to break that promise just yet, which was a plus.

The leader of their little team let out a long breath of frustration. "Great. So, I'm assuming that means almost everyone at SFIT?"

"Maybe not everyone. He wasn't friends with..." His train of thought left the station without him and so Fred didn't know how to finish that sentence. The professors? But he was friends with most of them-even the ones he wasn't exactly friends could say that he had been friendly towards them. That, added to the fact that a secret given to certain teachers could spread like wildfire, made it a safe bet to say, yes, everyone at SFIT.

"He was friends with everyone and you know it, Fred," Wasabi muttered. "Even the janitor."

"Hey, Steve's a great guy. Everyone's friends with him."

"So, it's probably someone here, at the school," Honey Lemon replied, her eyes growing wide.

"It makes sense, though," Wasabi admitted. "They would have had to either be very intelligent, or have access to Hiro's tech, and seeing as they also seem to have some insight into Hiro's personal life, I'm going to go with a student."

"Or teacher," Hiro pointed out.

"Or teacher," Wasabi agreed. "We won't make that mistake again. Next question: how did they know who Hiro is?"

The group fell silent, contemplating.

"Perhaps they saw him up close during a bank robbery or something."

"No, Fred, I don't think so," Honey Lemon said quietly. "He's been very careful not to let himself be seen—more so than any of us. It's something else."

"Maybe a neighbor?"

Wasabi scoffed. "A neighbor with rocket boots? Get real, Fred."

GoGo had been very quiet throughout the back-and-forth conversation, and finally piped up. "Hiro, what about your statement? What kind of voice modulator did you use?"

"Not a very good one," the kid genius admitted. "I didn't have very long to set it up."

"And of course," GoGo finished, "it would be a simple matter for almost anyone at SFIT to reverse a voice modulation. We know the how, so let's start ruling people out."

"I feel the need to point out that none of this would have happened if you guys hadn't forced me to make an appeara-"

"No one asked your opinion, Shorty."

* * *

It had been about an hour now, and Hiro was feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of suggestions pouring in. Desperately needing to take a breath, he eased out of his seat.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to make us a snack or something. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Honey Lemon replied, smiling serenely. "Do you think your aunt left anything in the fridge?"

"Probably not, it was pretty busy today. I'll just make popcorn." Eager to escape the tense atmosphere, Hiro slipped upstairs, running to the kitchen.

"Right then. Where..." His eyes lit on a cabinet where he was somewhat certain he would find the instant popcorn, and yanked it open... only to be greeted by a glass mug toppling out of the overstuffed cabinet and onto the floor. He winced as the _crack _of glass against tile rebounded against the walls, and quickly grabbed a broom and attempted to sweep it up into a quick pile before the team came looking... and probably ended up stepping on the small shards.

"Right then. Definitely not popcorn. How about..." He opened another cabinet—considerably more carefully—and hoped for anything resembling dried corn kernels, obviously finding nothing. After going through four more cabinets in this manner, he finally found two packages, and relieved, Hiro threw them both in the microwave and clicked the popcorn button twice before going back downstairs.

"Alright, popcorn's in the microwave."

"Took you long enough," GoGo muttered. "We have the suspect narrowed down to three people. None of them happen to be professors, so you don't need to worry about getting a bad grade," she joked, then continued. "We can keep an eye on them and see whether they have any suspicious activities going on, so we were divvying up the stakeouts. I'm with Honey Lemon, and Wasabi's with Fred, so it looks like you're going with Baymax, seeing as you're the only one who knows how to operate him completely."

"Got it," Hiro replied cheerily. _ That could have been much worse, _he thought to himself, relieved. _I could have been with Fred. Poor Wasabi.  
_

As if on cue, Wasabi suddenly sniffed the air, suspicious. "Does anyone else smell... burning plastic?"

"Hiro?" Fred glanced at the prodigy, eyebrows raised. "You did take the popcorn out of the plastic sleeves, right?"

"You're supposed to take it out of the plastic wrap?"

The fire alarm suddenly went off.

* * *

_**[Well, that was surprisingly short. Also, we have discovered that cooking in any sense is not one of Hiro's strong points. I apologize for the relatively short chapter! I'll try to do better next time. Thanks for reading!]**_


	4. Targets Locked

_**[Hello, everyone! Wow, the positive feedback has been almost overwhelming-you guys have no idea how much it means to me. Thank you so much! I took the time today to actually sit down and write down an outline, so I'm thinking that, for once, I'll be able to finish my story. Please stay tuned!]  
**_

* * *

"You had one job. One! All I said was not to blow anything up, and you do this!"

"If we're being entirely fair, Aunt Cass, I didn't blow anything up," Hiro replied truthfully. "Setting things on fire, on the other hand..."

Hiro's high-strung aunt narrowed her eyes. "You do know what this means, right?"

The college student sighed. "I'm grounded?"

"Big time."

"No leaving the house?"

"Except for school."

"And I'm assuming you're confiscating most of my tools."

"Bingo."

Hiro glared in her general direction. "That's not fair, though! How was I supposed to know you have to take it out of the package?"

"Maybe you should have read the instructions first," Aunt Cass responded hotly.

"I'm a fifteen-year old prodigy, master of robotics and mechanical engineering," Hiro replied haughtily. "I don't read instructions."

"God help us all if we ever get anything from IKEA. You're grounded for two weeks-"

"Two weeks?!"

"-And that means no video games, no TV..." Hiro listened, irritated, to the list of things Aunt Cass was banning for setting her microwave on fire. The usual, no technology, but his eyes grew wide with horror when she finished with: "And no Baymax!"

"What?! Aunt Cass, what-"

"Do you seriously think I don't know that you installed a television and video game chip into him?"

Hiro felt his face grow a little red with embarrassment and frustration as he remembered that, yes, he had, and yes, he would likely have used Baymax as his own entertainment system."

"But Aunt Cass-"

"Don't 'But Aunt Cass' me! Now, are you going to help me clean up this mess?" she asked, gesturing to the smoldering remains of the microwave.

"...Yes, Aunt Cass," Hiro muttered.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Yes, Aunt Cass," Hiro said a little louder, going to grab the fireproof gloves that Tadashi had made a while ago for this specific purpose... turns out cooking did _not _run in the family.

* * *

That night, Hiro slipped out his window, managing to snatch Baymax's case from the garage as he left. It had to be about 1 AM—an hour late, but better late than never, right?

"Dude, where have you been?" Wasabi looked seriously annoyed when Hiro finally ran to them at the meeting spot, Baymax in tow. "We've been waiting for an hour, dude. We were worried."

"Sorry, guys. I was grounded, and I haven't been able to get out of the house," Hiro replied apologetically. "Aunt Cass even confiscated Baymax."

"Is that possible?"

"Of course it's possible, doofus," GoGo muttered under her breath. "Let's just get this stakeout over with, okay? I'd like to know who's responsible for threatening Shorty over here."

"Call me Shorty one more time, GoGo. I dare you."

GoGo raised an eyebrow, then sighed exasperatedly and smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it, Hiro. You know I'm just joking, right?"

Taken aback by the sudden apology, Hiro smiled gratefully in return. "I do now. Thank you, GoGo."

"No problem, Shorty."

* * *

Aunt Cass woke up suddenly when she heard a door shut. Immediately, she got to her feet, pulling on her jacket... and taking a pistol from her nightstand drawer. She moved silently down the hall—the way only someone who had had to do this several times can. She glanced at the clock, wondering if perhaps Hiro had come downstairs to grab a Pop-Tart(something that he tended to do fairly often), but her instincts told her otherwise.

After all, being a former Fujita, she had had to develop those skills over a long career. They had never failed her before, and they wouldn't fail her now.

Silently, she stepped into the kitchen, and felt her blood turn to ice.

_That's not Hiro._

"Who are you?" she said—quietly, but just loud enough to make herself heard. The figure bent over the remains of her burnt microwave stiffened, and turned. Aunt Cass took a step back, her pistol drawn and now pointed at the figure's chest. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

She couldn't see his face—it was obscured by a hood, but she could have sworn from his tone that he was smiling—not that she could gather much from his voice, raspy and hoarse as it was.

"I call myself the Sukōchi. As for why I'm here... I have a message for Hiro Hamada."

"I'm sorry, he's not home right now," she lied(or so she thought), glancing back at the stairs leading to his room.

"I'm aware of that—I saw him leave a little while ago with that robot of his."

Cass froze, her mind moving a thousand miles an hour. _For once, I'm so glad that knucklehead ignored me! He's in so much trouble when he gets home... What does this __Sukōchi want? _

Finally, she forced herself to calm down, still aiming for the figure's chest.

"...What's the message?"

* * *

"Incoming call."

"What? Who from, Baymax?"

The marshmallow robot tilted his head slightly, then replied. "Caller Identified: Aunt Cass."

Hiro's eyes grew wide, then he groaned. "Great. Just great. I must have woken her up. Put me through, Baymax."

The robot blinked, then a shaky voice came from the speakers. "H-Hiro? Honey?"

Hiro took a deep breath, and put on a brave smile before answering. "Yes, Aunt Cass?"

"Oh, thank God... I thought you were hurt..." The usually composed woman seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown, swallowing sobs and holding back tears as she continued. "Someone broke in... They said they had a message for you, and that man looked like he wanted to hurt you..."

"_What?!"_

"He called himself the Sukōchi, and he was wearing a black cloak. He said that he had seen you leave, and..."

"Aunt Cass, did you see his face? Wait, hold on, I'm coming home-"

"_Don't you dare!"_

Shocked, Hiro fell silent for a couple seconds, then: "Why not?"

"The... The man said that he has cameras in the house, as well as a tracker on you at all times..." Aunt Cass took a shaky breath, then plowed on. "Hiro, I think you need to spend some time away from the cafe while I try to find these cameras."

"Aunt Cass, what about you?" Hiro's frown grew deeper as he thought about the harm that could come to his final surviving family member, and felt his heart begin to race.

"Don't you be scared for me, honey. I'll be fine," the usually joyful and spunky woman replied with conviction. "I'll come and find you in a little while, once I'm sure he's really gone, then you can explain."

Hiro hesitated. "Aunt Cass..."

"Yes?"

"...Please stay safe."

"I will," Aunt Cass replied gently, and with sincerity. "Oh, and Hiro?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for ignoring me... just this once, though," she added hastily. "If you ever do it again, you're going to be grounded until you're thirty-two. But..."

"Aunt Cass?"

"That wasn't the message."

Hiro felt himself it up straighter, eyes growing even wider—if that was even possible. "But... What was it, then?"

"The message was just this: Wasabi, GoGo, Honey Lemon, Fred, Baymax. That's all. He didn't explain, or go into it any further. He just prattled off your best friend's names, then left. He... Hiro? Honey? What is it?"

Hiro felt his heart pounding. It had been bad enough that his secret identity was out, endangering himself. But now...

_Now we're all in danger._

* * *

**_[So, once again, thank you for the feedback, and I have a challenge for you guys this time: I am still looking for a superhero name for our dear *cough*Shorty*cough* Hiro, and I would appreciate any suggestions greatly! Anyways, again, um, thank you for reading! Oblivious out! *throws self out of frame*]  
_**


	5. Of Jackets and Trackers

_**[Hello, everyone! Thank you again for the positive feedback. I finally managed to get in a slightly longer chapter this time! I may be slightly delayed in getting up new chapters for the next few days, due to the fact that my space bar broke somehow, so that I have to keep going back and adding spaces that I wasn't able to get in because I didn't hit the key hard enough. -_- So, thank you for reading!]**_

* * *

Hiro sat impatiently at Fred's mansion, waiting for his Aunt. After Cass had hung up, Hiro had immediately contacted the rest of the team, making sure they were all okay, then insisted they meet back at Fred's house—a place that had sort of become their headquarters. The following conversation had been... interesting, to say the least.

If, by interesting, you meant that Wasabi began to panic, Fred stated several times how cool this was, Honey Lemon and GoGo insisted that they go and catch this guy right away, and Baymax diagnosed Hiro, once again, with pubescent mood swings.

One thing was made very clear by all of their reactions, though—that after threatening Aunt Cass, there was no way they would not catch him.

After Tadashi's death, Aunt Cass had become their rock, and became almost a second mother to all of them. Whether she was making sure they had all eaten, or talking with them when they were down, she made sure to take care of them. The second the Sukochi came near her, they all wordlessly agreed that he had crossed the line. Threaten their members, sure. Discover their secret identities, fine. But threaten Cass... and it was all over.

* * *

Finally, the usually happy-go-lucky woman rang the doorbell. After an exact 13 seconds, Heathcliff opened the door, inviting her in. On a good day, she would have been amazed by the effort put into the interior decoration, or perhaps she would have been extremely confused that a young man like Fred lived here.

But it was not a good day.

Heathcliff attempted to make conversation in an attempt to keep Cass' mind off of the problem at hand, but when he found her uncharacteristically silent, he gave up and simply directed her to the room that the team was gathered in. Unfortunately, the team was still arguing over what was to be done, and so the already overwhelmed Cass walked in on 6 armored superheroes arguing about a masked villain.

As soon as Hiro's aunt entered, everyone simultaneously froze—including Cass herself. Then, she sighed and sat down next to the smallest member.

"Well, I had my suspicions, but it's nice to know that my nephew has been going behind my back to be a superhero. So," she continued, ignoring their shocked expressions, "is that what this is about?"

No one responded, until finally Fred piped up from the back of the room. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew," Cass replied. "I have been living with Hiro for the past 12—almost 13—years. You think I wouldn't know if he suddenly began to disappear at random intervals? Or do you really think I wouldn't notice that Baymax suddenly seems to be able to do karate? Or perhaps you thought I wouldn't take notice of the armor stashed in the garage?"

By now, everyone had fallen completely silent, suddenly discovering that, wow, the floor really was extremely interesting.

That is, except for the youngest Hamada, who had hardly even noticed his aunt's appearance. Lost in thought, he was sitting by the windowsill, gazing out onto the wet, silvery street below. It was only when Cass put her arm around his shoulders that he started, looking up, confused until he remembered that yes, he had indeed contacted his aunt.

"You- Oh." Suddenly realizing that everyone was still in their armor, he felt his face grow hot. "Um. Hi, Aunt Cass. You... weren't supposed to find out like this."

"Hiro, I already knew. Weren't you listening?"

The college student shook his head, slightly miffed that he had missed this, then felt himself pulled into a hug. "Au...? Aunt Cass? What-"

"Hiro, I can tell you're upset." Aunt Cass pulled away to look at him, then smiled. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

Hiro shrugged. "Nothing, everything? I'm not entirely sure, and that's the problem. I have a million things going on in my head, but none of them pertain to the problem at hand."

"Could you elaborate?" Wasabi called from the back of the room.

"Well, I have things running through my head like 'How did the Sukochi know that I was gone', and 'How does he possibly have a tracker on me'," Hiro attempted to explain, "but I can't seem to assess the current problem, which is 'If he isn't any of our three suspects, who _is _he?'"

Aunt Cass rolled her eyes. "Perhaps it's the fact that it's almost four in the morning, and you need to be asleep."

"That could have something to do with it," Hiro admitted. "But I can't help but wonder when and how he got cameras and a tracker on me."

"I think I know."

Everyone simultaneously turned to look at GoGo who, up until now, had been very quiet. She looked up—somewhat guiltily, Hiro noted—and continued. "Hiro, you might already know this, but a while ago, I stumbled into Tadashi's lab to find him sewing trackers into your jacket."

Hiro blinked in surprise, then listened as she went on. "It was solely for the purpose of him being able to help you get away from botfights, and he told me that his trackers had a specific frequency that connected to his phone. What if...?"

The child genius immediately picked up on what she was saying. "What if they hacked into his frequency?"

"Exactly."

* * *

"It's not impossible," Hiro murmured, half to himself. "Improbable, certainly, but not impossible. So what do we do?"

"Simple," Honey Lemon replied, frowning. "Just don't wear the jacket."

"Not an option."

"Hiro..." Aunt Cass' tone held a note of warning. "It's just a jacket."

"But," Hiro's eyes snapped up to meet Cass'. "It's my favorite jacket!"

"It could potentially spell out your death!"

"Then I'll die happy in the knowledge that I am wearing my favorite jacket."

"Hiro Hamada," Cass said, standing up, "you will take off that jacket or so help me, I will ban all gummy bears from the house."

"Done."

The team glanced at each other, confused. All this fuss over a jacket?

"Hiro..." Cass glanced back at the team, then gestured to the hallway. "May I speak with you in private?"

Hiro's obstinate gaze met hers, but eventually, it wavered, and he followed his aunt into the hallway. They stood in silence for several seconds, while Cass stared the teenager down. Finally:

"Well?"

"I don't want to take it off."

"What is it about that jacket?"

Hiro refused to reply for a few seconds, then: "I got it the day I started high school."

Cass tilted her head, silently willing him to continue. When it became clear that he wasn't going to, she came to a conclusion herself. "Tadashi got it for you."

"Yes."

* * *

_It was the first day of high school. While most kids were looking forward to seeing or their friends, or starting a new year, or maybe looking for a romance in this new, strange environment, one figure stood out._

_That figure was that of 11-year old Hiro Hamada. And he had been dreading the start of high school ever since he had graduated middle school._

_Having spent far too many hours stuffed into a locker, or perhaps simply leered at by the other students, the only difference Hiro could see about this school was bigger students, with more time to beat him up after class. True, he had his older brother, but he wouldn't always be around for every second, would he? Of course, he could be wrong. He could just be imagining it all._

_He wasn't._

* * *

"_Hiro? Otouto? You're shaking."_

"_I'm fine, Nii-chan. I'm just a little cold."_

_Tadashi frowned, glancing at his brother's attire. It wasn't exactly suited for warm weather, but seeing as winter would be rolling around soon enough, Tadashi came to a solution himself. _

_'Well, maybe we should get you a jacket or something on the way home."_

_Hiro looked up in alarm. "You don't have to do that," he said quickly. "I'll be fine, It's just-"_

"_No worries, otouto. Aunt Cass has been suggesting I take you clothes shopping soon anyways."_

_Hiro felt his heart begin to pound—there were more than a few bruises he didn't especially want his brother to worry about. "A-Are you sure we have the funds for that?"_

"_You don't have to worry about that, Hiro. It's settled."_

_And so it was._

* * *

"_Where did you get this?"_

_Hiro avoided his brother's eyes as Tadashi caught a glimpse of a bruise he had received on his shoulder as he took one jacket in particular off. "I... I tripped."_

"_When did this happen?"_

"_I don't know. Recently."Quickly going to put on the jacket that he had chosen, he suddenly stopped as he felt the pressure of his brother's hand on his arm._

"_Did you trip against the inside of a locker?"_

_Oops._

"_I..." Hiro considered lying, but as he glanced at the teenager's expression, he decided otherwise. "...Maybe."_

"_Would you mind telling me what really happened?" Tadashi didn't raise his voice, or otherwise show any negative emotion whatsoever, but as Hiro looked at his face, he could sense something similar to concern... or was it anger?_

"_...I was shoved in a locker. Happy?"_

"_Who did this?"_

"_I don't know, Tadashi! Geez, I don't know everyone at school, I mean, it's only my first day here."_

_As soon as he said it, Hiro felt Tadashi's grip on his arm tighten ever so slightly, then relax. He glanced at his older brother, then away, unwilling to meet his gaze. Tadashi grew silent for several seconds, then let out a long breath and knelt down beside him._

"_Hiro, how long has this been going on? Did this happen at your old school, too?"_

_Hiro looked down at the floor, and shuffled his feet a little. "...Maybe."_

"_Why didn't you tell me?" It wasn't said with anger, or even concern. Tadashi sounded almost... sad. Until now, Hiro hadn't considered how it might hurt his older brother that he was hiding his injuries from him._

"_...I guess I felt like you had enough to worry about. I didn't want to bother you."_

_He felt Tadashi stiffen, then, after a moment's pause, pull him into a rib-crushing hug. "Hiro, you're not a bother to me. I don't want to hear you say that you think you're bothering me, okay? You're my little brother," he continued, "And my friend. So don't ever feel like you can't come to me with anything."_

* * *

_Since then, Hiro had refused to take off the jacket for almost anything. Not so much because he especially liked the jacket itself(he actually thought it a little unattractive), but because of the memory associated with it, the memory of his brother reminding him that he would always be there for him to take care of any worry or problem he might have._

_After Tadashi's death, even more so. _

* * *

Hiro was obviously avoiding her eyes now, and after a few seconds of silence, his aunt sighed, then leaned over to give him a hug.

"Hiro, you don't have to take the jacket off, I suppose, but we do have to find out where the tracker is, and take it out."

Hiro finally looked up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can agree to that."


	6. In Which We Discover the Second Body

_**[Hello again, dearest readers! I managed to get this chapter on paper(finally)! After my space bar broke, I was admittedly rather worried, but hey, I even managed to turn out a longer chapter! Yay me. I'd like to thank my followers-I wouldn't have made it this far without your support!  
**_

_**Anyways, I decided that, for the most part, the police force seems to go unnoticed in most comics, don't they? I mean, they seem to be almost useless, seeing as they tend to be mowed down by most Super-Villains. Knowing several people who work very hard in the police force, I have decided to remedy this. **_

_**After all, Hiro seems to be over the whole footage thing, doesn't he? I mean, he was at that crime scene to help...and he doesn't ****seem to ****have done much of that. In fact, he seems to have forgotten. One person hasn't, though... Please review and tell me how I did!]**_

* * *

_After Hiro had received the message on Yama's body, he had immediately gone to get his team on it. In the meantime, Detective Duncan was doing what she and the people she worked with did best. Hiro may have completely forgotten about the video footage... but not Duncan. _

_Finally, the footage was—while damaged—viewable. They even managed to get sound. Unsurprisingly, they had managed to turn up some evidence before the Big Hero 6 had(being a trained police force and all), and discovered that the suspect was male, roughly 6'4", had some form of damage to his vocal cords, and-obviously-possessed a very high amount of brainpower._

_While the Big Hero 6 was focused entirely on the capture of this villain, however, the SFPD was able to not only acquire this evidence, but also keep an eye on crime across the city as well. Had the superhero team paid more attention to the going-ons of San Fransokyo, they might have noticed that several high-security storage sites had been robbed in the past week, with almost nothing stolen except for a few specific pieces of tech._

"_Tell me what you've got," Duncan said as she entered the room. "I want to know who's causing these thefts, and for that, I need the footage."_

"_I don't know what to tell you," the confused technician replied. "Most of the footage has been completely wiped out. It will take about two days to get this done, and by then, who knows how many robberies could take place?"_

"_You said _most_."_

"_Yes," the technician elaborated, frowning. "You get a glimpse of a fuzzy figure, but then everything goes static again."_

"_Show me."_

_Duncan squinted as the technician froze the frame, showing a dark figure, a small glint of light reflecting off of the red glass._

"_Hm. Do we have a list of all the things which have been stolen?"_

"_Of course."_

"_I'm going to need to see that."_

* * *

Hiro stood by quietly as Cass began to carefully take out the tracker Tadashi had sewn in long ago.

"You know, Hiro, your brother was an amazing seamstress," she murmured, marveling at the even stitches, the flawless needlework, and the fact that, unless you looked very, very closely, you could hardly even tell the patch housing the tracker was there.

"I can tell."

"Really, he should have given up on robotics and just gone into sewing."

"I get it, Aunt Cass."

She fell silent again, reluctantly ripping the seams in order to get the tracker out. It was during this silence that Hiro's phone began to ring—and the younger Hamada's face began to flush as 'Shake it Off' began to play.

Aunt Cass froze, turned to him, gave him an _'Are you kidding me' _look, then muttered something and returned to her work. Quickly, Hiro grabbed his phone and answered, effectively cutting off the irritating music.

"Yes? Hello, who is this?"

"_Hiro? This is Officer Duncan."_

Hiro frowned in reply. "I didn't know you had my number."

"_Does that really matter right now?" _The policewoman sounded vaguely irritated, but continued. _"Hamada, we've found out where the __Sukōchi __is going to go next."_

Hiro started with surprise. He briefly covered the receiver to relay this to his aunt, then picked up the phone again. "How do we know this?"

"_I'm sure you remember your microbots?"_

"Of course."

"_Well, the ___Sukōchi _ seems to be rebuilding the neuro-cranial tramsmitter."_

Hiro frowned in confusion. "But... the transmitter and all of the microbots are in police custody, along with the blueprints for everything. How would the Sukōchi know how to make one?"

"_No idea. Anyhow, I'm sending you the co-ordinates right now. Grab your team and get over here."_

Hiro nodded—although Duncan couldn't see him—then hung up. "Sorry, Aunt Cass, I need to go," he said quickly, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door, looking at his email for the co-ordinates in the meantime.

"But-" Cass ran after him, trying to catch up. "I haven't gotten the tracker out yet!"

"We'll fix that later! Right now, we know where he's going to strike! Sorry to leave you hanging, but..." This said, he slipped into the garage, grabbing Baymax's luggage case on the way out. Leaving Aunt Cass holding her seam ripper, staring at the space where he had been just moments ago.

_I swear, that kid is going to kill himself one day. Not intentionally, he'll probably just trip over his toolbox or something equally as dumb, but I swear, one of these days, he's going to end up causing his own demise._

* * *

_Duncan waited silently in the shadows, watching as the dark figure sorted through several small chips in the folders. Finally, she un-holstered her pistol, and stepped out into the light._

"__Sukōchi_!"_

_The man froze, fingertips grazing the top of a file, then turned to look at her, his hand reaching in and taking the chip as he did so. Duncan winced a little as the moonlight reflected off of his red eyepiece, and continued._

"_Put your hands where I can see them."_

_The dark figure didn't move, except to slide the chip into a pocket in his cloak. Finally he spoke. "On what charges?"_

"_For trespassing on private property, for breaking and entering, and most importantly, for the murder of-"_

"_I see now." The man's voice was low, breathless. Really, the footage didn't do it justice... It was, indeed, terrifying. "I'm being hunted down for the murder of a murderer."_

"_You're being hunted down for the murder of a man, and for several cases of breaking and entering."_

_The ___Sukōchi _was silent, and Duncan could have sworn that he was smiling under that mask. Finally, with his nails-on-chalkboard voice, he replied._

"_Very well. I'll go with you..."_

_Duncan knew what was coming next, and gripped her pistol tighter. "Don't you dare-"_

"_If you can catch me." This said, the thrusters implanted in his heels –and up to his knee—activated, and he sped towards stairs, Duncan hot on his trail._

* * *

When Hiro arrived at the scene on Baymax's back, the rest of the team were already pulling up in Wasabi's new and improved van.

"You guys get my message?"

"Obviously, knucklehead." GoGo slid out of the van, picking up speed as she raced towards the 15 year old, only to skid to a halt only two feet from him. "So, the Sukōchi will be here?"

"Apparently. We just need to... wait. What's that?"

* * *

_Duncan ran up the stairs, and as she went, she instinctively knew that he was going to reach the top long before she did. Not being one to give up, however, she put on a burst of speed. As she flung open the door on the roof, she ran out, scanning the rooftop to find the man who had been in her sights only moments ago._

_She found him on the edge of the roof, about to jump. Suddenly terrified of him escaping, she ran forward, drawing her gun again, when she felt herself stop in her tracks just three feet away from him. She didn't register why she was still until she realized that he had lunged toward her, his hand clasped around her throat._

_In shock, she went completely still for a few seconds. As this happened, she heard screaming below them—and she realized that the Big Hero 6 had finally showed. Too far away to do anything, she blocked their helping her out as an option._

_They remained like this for a few picoseconds, grudgingly acknowledging that the other was more daring than they had originally thought. _

_Then, as Duncan tried to break his grip on her neck, the ___Sukōchi _whispered in his raspy voice._

"_Give Hamada my regards."_

_She felt him shift his wrist slightly, then all went black._

* * *

Hiro had just turned to look at the building when his eyes lighted on the figure. It was on top of the roof, in black robes, the red eyepiece glinting in the light.

_So that's him. That's the ___Sukōchi_._

Frozen, he watched as it made to jump off, the voices of his teammates growing dim. He might have remained like this—had Duncan not made her move. She looked as if she were actually going to tackle him, and in that moment, the man turned, taking her by her neck.

And Hiro snapped out of it.

"Baymax!"

The robot responded accordingly, activating his wings and thrusters so that he could take off. Just as they were about to lift off, Duncan went still... and was thrown off the roof.

"_Baymax, catch her!"_

They were too far. Hiro knew they were too far. His heart began to pound as he realized that they would never get to her in time, _she was going to hit the ground..._

Then Baymax's thrusters went into overdrive. It was a close shave, but Baymax barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Thrusters exhausted, he hit the ground a little roughly, and put her gently on the ground. As they landed, Hiro managed a quick glance up, telling him that the figure had disappeared.

Hiro quickly disengaged the high-powered magnets keeping him on Baymax's back, and ran to the limp policewoman.

"Duncan! Are you alright?! Did you..."

_Oh. Oh, no._

He wasn't entirely sure when his voice died. Maybe when he noticed that she wasn't breathing. Maybe when he saw that her eyes weren't closing at all. Or maybe it was when he saw that her head was tilted at an unnatural angle. It must have been the last one, he decided later, because that's when he registered the knife in her throat.

* * *

_**[So, once again, thank you for reading! If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or anything in that category, please PM me! I'll be more than happy to talk to you!]**_


	7. A Dream that I Can't Hold

_**[Hello again, everyone! Thank you so, so much for the positive feedback! I will do my best to keep updating, and hopefully finish. Why is it that Hiro keeps losing the people close to him? We explore that in this chapter. Please review, and thank you so much for the support!]**_

* * *

It was two days after the bloody incident at the warehouse. Hiro couldn't remember much after he had noticed the knife in Detective Duncan't throat—after her death, everything seemed to slow to a grinding halt. He vaguely remembered GoGo trying to gently pull him away from the body, Baymax announcing the late policewoman's injuries, Honey Lemon's soft cry of shock. He was somewhat aware of Baymax announcing that there were traces of the killer's blood underneath Duncan's fingernails, and had filed away his DNA, but everything that was said drifted in a hazy fog-one that he knew all too well.

The SFPD had arrived too late, unable to do anything but take her away to the coroner.

Meanwhile, Hiro had just stood there. He had tried his best to explain what had happened when questioned, but he knew that he had far too often trailed off, his eyes fixed on a point in the distance. It didn't help that Baymax chose to waddle over just then and announce that Hiro was in shock, and was thus promptly taken to the hospital, an orange blanket draped around his shoulders.

The visit hadn't taken too long, and it had actually helped him to calm down. However, it didn't alleviate the numbness that had shaken him when he saw the mortal wound on his friend's body.

Well, I say _friend, _but Duncan wasn't exactly his _friend. _She had never been especially _friendly_ towards him, but she was the only person at the police station who was actually willing to talk to him, as opposed to most of the officers, who muttered something bitterly under their breaths about _'Teenage Vigilantes'_, and _'No Training'. _

Which he could understand, seeing as they had spent years at an academy while he was fighting crime after only mere weeks with a fancy suit(and taking all of the recognition in the meantime, and distracting from the people whose job it was to help)—but it didn't distract from the sense that he wasn't wanted. Duncan, on the other hand, didn't mind being as helpful as possible, even if she wasn't especially _friendly_ towards him and his team. She was a kind presence, at least.

But now, she was gone.

Hiro was too familiar with the numbness threatening to fill his chest. He had a theory that the emptiness was the heart's way of killing the pain-he'd have to go off of it eventually, but when he did, it would hurt.

Because it's incredibly, horribly painful to have something—or someone—ripped out of your chest.

* * *

_I couldn't save her._

_I tried, and I failed yet again. I can't... I can't keep going on like this. It's too painful._

_No one else has these problems. Why is it that everyone around me tends to die painful deaths?_

_Hiro,wake up. Wake up._

_**WAKE UP!**_

Jolting awake as if someone had poured ice water on his head, the younger Hamada sat up, blearily rubbing his eyes and blinking away tears. "Yes, what is it, Ta... Aunt Cass?"

Cass frowned momentarily, then the unhappy expression was replaced by her usual smile—which was obviously forced. "Your friends are waiting for you. Baymax seems to have picked something up on his scanner."

Suddenly alert, the young genius pulled his jacket on over his pajamas and ran downstairs into the garage, leaving his aunt behind and slightly dazed in his bedroom.

"You know, Hiro, it's eleven in the morning, and you haven't even had breakfa-"

"It can wait," he called, taking a half-second to gain his composure before disappearing through the door. Not even noticing the Pop-Tarts his aunt was holding.

* * *

GoGo looked up at the young genius running in, his eyes still glazed over with sleep. "Hey, Shorty."

"Ha, ha. Where's the rest of the team?"

The Mechanical Engineering student shook her head. "They were never here."

"Then why...?" Hiro's voice trailed off, then stopped. "Oh. I see. You guys think I need to talk it out."

GoGo sighed. "It's not that simple, Hiro. Your Aunt says that you've been relapsing. Come on, short stuff." She wordlessly gestured to the couch, then fell back onto it as he sat down.

"It's nothing, GoGo," Hiro insisted. "I'm just a little shocked by the whole thing."

"'It's nothing'," the woman mocked in a slightly higher pitched voice than her own—which was actually a surprisingly good imitation of the younger Hamada's voice. "Come off it."

"I'm serious!"

"I'll believe that when Mochi flies."

Hiro opened his mouth to reply that he had, in fact, made rocket boots for the aptly named cat when he was younger, but closed it as GoGo caught his reply before it came out.

"Hiro, I know you're grieving."

Hiro tried to look her in the eye, but found that for once, he couldn't. He directed his gaze down, scanning the couch as if the world's secrets were woven into the fabric. "I just... I feel like everyone I care about gets hurt."

"We're still here."

"For now," the college student replied bitterly. "But for how long?"

"You don't have to worry about us, Hamada," GoGo said quietly. "We aren't going to leave you."

Ouch. Hiro felt a stabbing pain in his chest as his heart seemed to stop for a moment. _Now, where have I heard that before? _

* * *

"_You're lying again, Hiro."_

"_So?" the young genius didn't reply immediately, but when he did, it was nonchalant, indifferent. _

_And completely fabricated. His cold, lazy smile seemed genuine enough, relaying the emotions raging behind his eyes__—which betrayed absolutely nothing._

_But Tadashi knew better. His little brother was a liar__—a very good liar, too. He could lie through his teeth about any and everything, flashing his gap-toothed grin as if he could never do any wrong, all the while taking the money of seasoned botfighters. Tadashi knew this, because he had fallen for it time and time again, so he had learned to read Hiro like a book._

"_So, you're putting yourself in danger again," Tadashi growled. It was very, very rare that the older Hamada got himself worked up, but when he did, it could be frightening. His glare, white-hot, hit his younger brother like a bullet, and finally the twelve-year old had the decency to look away, his skin almost feeling physical heat from his brother's expression.  
_

"_I haven't been hurt yet."_

"_There's another lie."_

"_Not seriously, at least," Hiro amended. "I've gotten a few bruises, a few scrapes, but I get away in time."_

"_But what if I don't show up in time? What if you actually get hurt, Hiro? What then?" _

_The worst part is that Tadashi never raised his voice. Not once. In all the time that Hiro had known his brother, there were only a few instances in which Tadashi had spoken any louder than his usual tone—and they were all simply because they were in a loud environment. _

_When Tadashi was angry, he didn't yell, he never got flustered. Instead, his voice grew low, and barely louder than a whisper. He didn't scowl, or even frown. Instead, he smiled, as if he knew something that you didn't__—not an 'I have a little secret' kind of smile, but an 'I've already thought of twelve ways to kill you in the past five seconds' smile, and his eyes became white-hot coals. _

_And to Hiro, somehow, that was ten times more frightening than him yelling._

"_I won't."_

"_You don't know that."_

"_I can protect myself," the botfighter insisted. "I've won every match I've competed in, and Megabot is more than sufficient defense."_

"_And yet you still come home with scrapes," Tadashi reminded him, all the while quietly glaring at him from his place on Hiro's bed. _

_Aunt Cass always said that Hiro was the cunning and manipulative one. He could persuade you that he was the most innocent person in the world, then be walking away with whatever had been in your wallet only seconds later. He was a master of misdirection, and always felt warm inside after successfully proving you wrong._

_But what Cass never realized was that there are more than a single method of manipulation. _

_While Hiro's way of manipulating was to **make** you believe him with his charm and 'innocence', Tadashi would grow close to you, with genuine compliments and kindness. He was selfless, and caring, and sincerely warm, and you couldn't help but be friends with him. After all, who wouldn't? He didn't have a mean or dishonest bone in his body. _

_And that was where his secret lay. Because who wouldn't do anything for a friend? He genuinely cared about everyone he met, and that's what made him so trustworthy. That's why he was always able to quietly and gently get his points across. That's why it made it so, so hard to turn him down or away. _

_And so hard to remain firm in your own arguments. You couldn't win against someone like that. And Tadashi knew this._

"_I.."_

_Trapped in his own feeble argument, the young genius found himself without anything to say—something that only happened when arguing with his brother. While Hiro was able to win any and all arguments with anyone else, he had only won a small number of disagreements with Tadashi. Usually because he was right, but also because of the simple fact that he was impossible to fight with. Finally, Hiro let out a long breath, giving up, and sat down on his bed next to Tadashi._

"_Fine. I'm sorry. You happy?"_

"_Of course not." Hiro finally forced himself to meet his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. "Hiro, we both know that the second I fall asleep, you're going to go back out to win another match."_

"_Am I that easy to read?" Hiro asked sheepishly._

"_Yes. So I'm going to make something very clear to you," Tadashi said in his low voice._

"_...Yes...?"_

"_You might not be getting hurt now, but what about when I'm not here? I can't always be around to look after you, Hiro."_

_Hiro suddenly sat up straight. "What do you mean? You're not... You're not leaving, are you, Nii-chan?"_

_Somewhat mollified by the sudden change of intention, Tadashi shook his head. "Of course not. But we both know that I'm not always around to pull you out of fights."_

_Hiro nodded slowly. "Yes, but-"_

"_Otouto, I don't want you to get hurt," Tadashi said gently, calming down somewhat, his smile turning into a genuine one. "I won't always be around, so I can't keep doing this every time you feel like you need a thrill."_

"_You say that like you're leaving," Hiro muttered, turning away again so as not to meet his burning gaze._

"_I'm not leaving, but I think a promise is in order."_

"_Like what?"_

"_How about this," Tadashi said quietly, leaning back. "You stop botfighting, and I'll stick around so that I can keep making sure you don't do other dumb stuff. Deal?"_

_Hiro raised an eyebrow, but finally sighed, nodding slowly. "Okay. Whatever. I'll stop. Just don't leave me alone here with Mochi. That cat is evil." He meant it this time, he really did. He didn't want to get hurt, he wasn't stupid. Also, Mochi wasn't his favorite companion.  
_

_Tadashi's quiet, furious demeanor finally faded completely, and he rolled his eyes, tousling his little brother's hair. "Don't you worry, Otouto, I'm not leaving any time soon. I'm not leaving you."_

_What neither of them realized was that, for once, Hiro wasn't the only one lying._

* * *

"You're putting yourself in danger every time we go out there, and I'm the ringleader. You can't be so sure you won't get hurt."

"Do you think we care?" GoGo's voice rose very slightly in pitch, just enough to snap Hiro out of his reminiscing.

"No, I don't! That's the worst part!" Hiro felt the familiar tightness in his chest that he got whenever he was on the verge of breaking down, but he continued in spite of it. "You _don't _care! You're perfectly fine with getting hurt or even killed in the line of duty, and I'm the reason you're even out there in the first place!"

"Hiro, what we do isn't your fault-"

But by now, Hiro wasn't listening. He stood up, heart pounding as he kept talking. "No one understands! Every time anyone gets close to me, they get hurt. My parents, Tadashi, Duncan... Aunt Cass has been threatened, Baymax has been lost in an alternate dimension, and even you guys have been injured because of me. I get the message now, and _I'm done! _I..."

He didn't get to finish the sentence, because by now GoGo was off of the chair as well, pulling him into a rare hug. Hiro hadn't realized he was crying until now, but as soon as he did, he realized exactly how much he'd let out. It had certainly occurred to him before now, but he hadn't actually had the time to dwell on it, or even thought about it much.

_"I'm dangerous,"_ he whispered, both out loud and in his head. "It would be better if you stayed away."

GoGo didn't respond for a while, but finally she released him. "Hamada, you're being ridiculous. Do you really think that the reason people get hurt is because of you?"

"Well, why not?" By now, Hiro's voice was breaking to the point that GoGo could barely make out what he was saying. "Everyone feels inclined to protect me, and because of that, they put themselves in the line of fire."

The young genius' companion fell silent at this, wincing at the choice of words, then took a step away from him. "So, you think that everything we do is influenced by your needs."

"I'm saying that you're letting yourself be influenced," Hiro muttered, not liking where the conversation was heading.

"And _I'm _saying that you're being ridiculous," GoGo replied softly. "Hiro, bad things happen to good people. But none of this was your fault." She took a deep breath, then sat down again, pulling him into another hug—which was surprising the first time, and unheard-of the second time. "Your parents died in a car crash on their way to the store. Duncan died trying to stop a theft. Baymax was trying to save Abigail. And Tadashi-"

Now GoGo's voice caught, and she took a breath. Finally, after much composing herself, she continued. "Tadashi died trying to save Callaghan. He didn't go inside to protect you, and it wasn't because of his overprotective brother complex," she added with a soft chuckle that she didn't really mean. "It was because he's always been selfless—to the point of death. That's what this is really about, isn't it?"

Hiro didn't say anything for a while, then finally confirmed it with a slow nod. "Yeah. I guess Duncan reminded me too much..." he took a breath, then shook his head. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"Sorry?" GoGo let go of him again, looking incredulously in his direction. "Hamada, you have no reason to be sorry. Everyone has emotions, maybe you should trust us with them from time to time. It's no problem. _No problem at all,_" she emphasized with a finger jabbing him in the chest with the last four words, making it very clear that she intended to talk with him again about this.

"Okay. Sorr- Um, thanks, GoGo."

"Don't mention it," she replied. "Seriously, don't. I don't want the team thinking that I just give out hugs now."

"I won't," Hiro replied with a soft laugh. "I promise."

"Oh, and I wasn't lying about Baymax picking something up on his scanners, so..."

Immediately perking up, Hiro jumped off the couch he had previously been occupying, and ran to the marshmallow robot. After hooking him up to the computer, he began to type, opening up several tabs. "Great, I'll just... Oh."

"'Oh'?" GoGo sounded slightly amused as she balanced a pencil on one of her fingertips. "Why 'Oh'?"

"We've found the Sukochi."

GoGo looked up, startled, dropping the pencil and popping her gum at the same time. "Where is he?"

"He's... Well, he's at one of my old botfighting haunts."

Tomago frowned. "Do you think that's intentional?"

"Maybe," Hiro said quietly, scanning the screen on Baymax's front. "Maybe not. It could just be a coincidence. Or," he added, "It could be meant to throw me off. Let's call the team, just in case."

"One step ahead of you, Shorty," GoGo replied with a smirk, phone in hand.

* * *

_**[Dun dun DUN! They've found the masked man who has been causing so much harm, but what now? What does the Sukochi want with a neuro-cranial transmitter? And why is it that I keep asking these rhetorical questions? Find out in the next chapter!]**_

_**[Ahem. In all seriousness, though, thank you so much for reading! Please let me know how I did, and don't hesitate to PM me with questions or suggestions! Oblivious out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	8. Band-Aids Don't Fix Blunt Force Trauma

_**[Hello once again! I am back with a new chapter, but before I go right into the new chapter, I would like to answer a few reviews. **_

_**I'll be honest: One thing I can honestly say that I HATE is when I think I can see the plot twist from a mile off. It kind of ruins the story for me. Now, I can see that this seems to be the case for a few people, so I'd like to put your minds at rest:**_  
_**Yes, the villain **_**doe****s**_** seem to resemble Tadashi in many ways. But the question we have to ask here is: what motive would Tadashi have to threaten Hiro and the rest of the team? Why would Tadashi go so far as even to murder police officers, just because he can?**_  
_** I'm not trying to disprove these theories in any way, nor am I trying to turn your suspicions on someone else *hint*DORA*hint*. (That was a joke, I am fairly certain that Dora the explorer is not the Sukochi, however much of a plot twist that would be.)  
But one thing that always kind of disappoints me is when I can see the end of a story before it happens. Takes the suspense out, you know?**_  
_**Anyways, I do wish to kind of put your mind at rest, and say that, while I'm not necessarily saying that you're incorrect, I would like to point out that Tadashi would have had to go through a LOT in order to even THINK about killing someone.**_

_**Anyways, now that I have answered this, I would like to direct you to the story below: And thank you so much for your support! Please review and let me know how I did, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me!]**_

* * *

Seagulls are curious birds. They tend to be goofy and awkward, what with their relatively thin wings and larger bodies, their irritating and loud squawks, and their complete lack of coordination on the ground.

One thing they are, though, is free to come and go as they pleased. No one ever really found a reason to keep them(being 'curious' as previously stated), and no one ever really needed to shoo them away, seeing as—at least in this area of San Fransokyo—they didn't really bother anyone. A few people might even say that they envied the seagulls, and wish for their ability of flight.

Of course, Hiro was not one of these people, having already achieved flight several times. It was, as expected, incredible; the wind whipping in his hair and the simple feeling that everything else was so _small _made flying one of his favorite pastimes.

Even when he had what seemed to be the weight of the world on his shoulders, Hiro managed to find time to enjoy the simple freedom of flight. But not this time. For once, he was entirely focused on the strategic planning going on behind his eyes, closed to the resistance of the air in his face.

While Baymax flew ever closer to the abandoned warehouse that Hiro had once happily hustled seasoned botfighters in, his passenger was engrossed in how to get past the defenses the Sukochi had no doubt set up. He was obviously very intelligent, and it was probable that the masked villain was anticipating their arrival. The big question here was: How to anticipate his actions in return?

"Hiro, we have arrived at our destination."

The young genius opened his eyes, jarred out of his thoughts, and glanced around him. Sure enough, this was the location—he recognized it by scent only. Perhaps having a botfighting tournament next to a fishing wharf wasn't the best idea, hence the move. Potential funds avoided the area like the plague, rotten fish not being one of their favorite smells; and really, who could blame them?

Deactivating the enormous magnets, he slid off of the robot onto the ground, squinting as the sunlight flitered through his visor into his eyes. Glancing around for his team, he directed Baymax to an area where he was sure they wouldn't be seen.

* * *

Within moments, GoGo skidded around a corner on her bike, Honey Lemon hitching a ride. After pressing a button on the bike, it compacted into a small backpack that she quickly put on her back; picking up the two disks that had been the wheels, she suspended them on her ankles with the electromags built into her suit. After two or three seconds of scanning the area, Hiro quietly slid out of his hiding place.

"Hey, guys. Are Wasabi and Fred on their way?"

Honey Lemon piped up from behind her comparatively short companion. "Fred's jumping over, and Wasabi's in his van."

"Somehow that doesn't sound like a great idea," Hiro muttered to himself, making a note to install thrusters on everyone's suits.

"Well, it _is _his only method of transportation," GoGo replied, amused. Of course she would be, privileged as she was to have electromag wheels, but she, Fred, and Hiro were the only ones to have a reliable way of getting around—and Hiro only if Baymax wasn't currently busy.

It was a few more moments before Fred showed up, and about fifteen minutes until Wasabi finally pulled into the little alley by the warehouse. By now, Hiro was certain that, if they got out of this alive, he wouldn't rest until he had given everyone who needed them rocket thrusters—or maybe something that didn't involve flying, in Wasabi's case.

"Dude, what took so long?" This was GoGo, who had been going almost mad with boredom. Before Wasabi could reply, however, Hiro reminded them of the reason they were here, and they relented to leaving the conversation for later.

"Baymax, the masked man is still here, right?"

"My sensor indicates that the man known as the Sukochi is in this building. It also indicates that he is on the second floor of this structure."

Hiro tiled his head, looking at the robot. "You wouldn't happen to have anyone in your database who matches with your scan of him, would you?"

Baymax returned the look. "I don't believe so. I am incapable of retrieving a full scan of the Sukochi, due to an energy field that he seems to be emitting."

Honey Lemon frowned, catching up with the young genius and his marshmallow robot. "Energy field? What kind of energy field?"

"This information is currently unknown."

* * *

When they reached the front door, Baymax suddenly stopped in his tracks, unmoving. Unfortunately, Fred was walking directly behind him, and so strolled right into the metal armor of the nursebot. After a moment of muttering things that should not be said in front of small children or those who are faint of heart, he got to his feet to look at the robot.

"What's up, big buddy?"

Hiro stopped to look at the armored balloon, then found himself taking several steps back as Baymax seemed to shake it off. "I apologize," he said after a moment, "I seem to be malfunctioning. Shutting down."

"What?!" Hiro's eyes grew wide as the armor turned into a small suitcase, his robotic companion nestled safely inside. "Baymax, you can't deactivate now! We're in the middle of apprehending a criminal!"

"Uh, Short Stuff? Speaking of which..."

Wasabi's voice cut through the confusion, and Hiro followed his gaze to the door, in which stood a figure in a dark cloak and mask. He straightened up, taking a few steps away from the robot. He stood there, eyes locked with the expressionless mask, then spoke a single word.

"_Sukochi."_

"Hello, Hiro." The young college student winced at the man's voice—it was even worse than Aunt Cass had described it, then steeled himself as the man continued. "It's about time you showed up. I've been waiting."

"What made you think I'd come here?"

"Because that's what heroes do," the Sukochi replied, amusement clear from his voice. "I knew you'd figure out how to track me soon enough. I also knew that your armored friend would be able to identify me, given the chance. So I took the liberty of... sizing him down a little."

"Why are you doing this?" Honey Lemon stepped out from behind Wasabi's protective arm—which he hadn't remembered throwing up. "Why go to all this trouble? Why do everything you can to get our attention?"

"I'll let you figure that out for yourselves," the Sukochi said quietly, then let the cloak slide off his shoulders—revealing gold-red armor, encasing every member except for his face. "Now, I need to get you out of the way. Permanently. Who's up first?"

Simultaneously, every member of the team raised their weapons to defend themselves(excluding Hiro, who had no weapons to speak of). This done, the Sukochi tilted his head slightly, clearly pleased at the turn of events.

"I was rather hoping you'd say that," he responded, two blades sliding from his gauntlets. He pressed a button on his forearm, and his boots sparked to life, increasing his height by about two inches.

Wasabi ran forward, his hands growing plasma swords and heading for the man's gut—until they were deflected by the knives that landed in the figure's hands. Moving with ease, the armored figure easily dodged the college student's strikes until he plunged one of the knives into the control panel on Wasabi's back—effectively shutting off his lasers and making him a considerably smaller threat.

Honey Lemon, Fred, and GoGo looked at each other at the same time, thinking the same thing—_It's go time._ Leaping into action, Honey Lemon, tossed Fred one of her chemical bombs, which he threw with surprising accuracy, flames licking the edges of the plastic ball. It hit the ground in front of the Sukochi, who had to move quickly to avoid it, running straight into GoGo, whose disk collided with his chest, temporarily knocking him backwards.

He regained his balance in seconds, however, and sent a dart of energy in Honey Lemon's direction, hitting the keyboard on her purse. As it began to spit out random chemical combinations, she moved aside, frantically trying to stop it. To compensate for his companion's inability to fight, Fred leaped forward, spitting flames—and felt his costume caught by one of the horns. With little effort, the Sukochi threw him into a wall, and he slid down, winded.

GoGo watched her comrade fall and, enraged, skated towards him faster than she had in a long time. She leaped over a box that was standing in the way, ready to leap on him, when he stepped calmly out of the way, catching one of her wheels as he did so, and leaving her with only one.

GoGo's eyes widened as she hit the ground, feeling the ground come up to meet her—and landed with one leg flying out from under her, and the other hitting the pavement at an unnatural angle. She hit the ground, sprawled on her back, and did something she hadn't done in a while.

She screamed.

* * *

What was Hiro doing in the midst of all of this? He was kneeling next to Baymax's suitcase, frantically trying to coax the robot out of his container. After extensive hacking into the container's interface, he finally gave up and resorted to mankind's basic hacking technique: He punched it, kicked it, and did pretty much anything he could to break it open. Then, just as he was on the verge of prying the tight lid off, he heard GoGo scream.

Improvising, Hiro grabbed a nearby pipe, and as the Sukochi turned to look at him, he swung. It was a long shot, he knew, but maybe, just maybe, it would break through.

It didn't.

The Sukochi's arm shot up, catching the metal pipe in his armored hand. Hiro felt his heart sink into his stomach as the pipe was wrenched out of his hands, and took a step back. He knew in an instant that he didn't have anything nearby to defend himself with, and got ready to run.

"Did you really think you could hurt me with this?" The Sukochi sounded more amused than angry, as if this whole disaster was simply a game to him.

"I thought it worth a shot," Hiro said quietly, backing away as the man looked him up and down.

Satisfied with this answer, the Sukochi made to drop the pipe and walk away, and Hiro felt himself relax, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He didn't even have time to react when the man suddenly spun, letting the metal pipe _crack _against the side of Hiro's helmet-shattering his visor and knocking him out instantly. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Thus, he didn't hear his team screaming for him. He didn't see GoGo trying to get to her feet(although one of her legs was clearly broken), crying out in pain all the while, or Wasabi and Honey Lemon running in without functional weapons, or Fred staggering to his feet, sprinting even though he could barely breathe.

And he didn't feel the Sukochi roughly pick him up off the ground from where he lay, sling Hiro over his shoulder, and take off, moving away faster than his pursuers could ever hope to run.

* * *

_**[Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me whether I need to fix anything, what I could do better, etc. Also, I am open to questions, so if you have any, please PM me! Thank you again for reading! Oblivious out! *throws self off of computer screen*]**_


	9. Now I'm Lying on the Cold, Hard Ground

_**[Hello, everyone! I have never been one to leave a cliffhanger for long, seeing as I dislike it when others do it. I hope you like this chapter which, I admit, I wrote rather hastily. Thank you for the support! Please read and review, and don't hesitate to PM me with any questions!]**_

* * *

Fred was doing his best to super-jump, trying to keep up with the villain and his little friend, but being out of breath as it was, and the Sukochi having rockets besides, he was soon gasping for breath on the side of the road, Hiro and the Sukochi long gone. After several seconds of trying to take inventory, for once the happy-go-lucky mascot found himself on the verge of tears. It took several seconds of deep breathing to calm himself down, then finally-why did these things always happen at the most inopportune times?-his com device kicked in.

"Fred?" Wasabi's high-strung voice came in through the receiver. "Fred! Pick up, man!"

The redhead gave himself a few more seconds, then answered. "Yeah? You guys alright?"

"Well, other than GoGo having a broken leg, Baymax not responding, and Hiro... MIA..." Fred winced at the term, but let his partner continue. "Yeah, we're just great," Honey Lemon replied in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone. Fred winced, but he could see where she was coming from. "Where are you? We need to get GoGo to a hospital, then we're going to go try and find Hiro."

"I was following the guy," Fred began to explain, his voice growing thick as he continued, "But he was too fast—I couldn't keep up, and I was out of breath from when I was knocked into the building. I'm sorry guys, I just..." Fred could hear the note of self-justification, and gave up, giving in to tears, incapable of putting a positive twist on the situation. The team fell completely silent, letting him have his moment, then Wasabi spoke up.

"Man, we're coming to pick you up. Where are you?"

"By the bri-bridge," the mascot stammered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"We're already headed in that direction. We'll be there soon, just don't move, okay?"

"Got it."

By the time they reached the bridge, GoGo's ankle was swollen, at a more natural angle due to some gentle meddling on Honey's behalf, but still very much injured. As stoic as the speed demon pretended to be, however, she was constantly crying out as they went over a bump in the road, or turned too quickly. Wasabi was driving even more cautiously than he usually did, but it wasn't enough.

Fred, already out of his Kaiju suit(which morphed into a neat little backpack with the others'), slid neatly into the car, doing his best not to disturb the incapacitated Mechanical Engineering student lying in the back seat. Thankfully, no one mentioned Fred's breakdown on the coms, only receiving concerned glances from everyone in the vehicle.

When they finally reached the hospital, Fred did his best to help GoGo out of the car, gratefully letting a nurse take her from him before he reached the door, then following them inside with Honey Lemon, letting Wasabi leave to park the car.

* * *

The helmet was what saved him. If Hiro had skimped even a little bit on the padding, or if the Sukochi hadn't been holding back, then the young genius would certainly have a crushed skull rather than a simple headache.

Of course, Hiro was fairly certain that, in this particular moment, he would have preferred the crushed skull-anything was better than this blasted headache. His least favorite kind of pain was the kind that was internal. With an injury, you could at least patch it up, watch it get better, and put pressure on it to lessen the pain somewhat, depending on the injury. Not so with a headache or stomachache. All you can do is take medicine and hope for the best.

Currently having no access to any medicine, he was doomed to deal with it.

Hiro had woken up only moments earlier, then immediately wished he hadn't, letting out a sharp cry as a stabbing pain consumed the left side of his head. After a few seconds of this, it subsided somewhat, turning into a dull yet intense ache. He rolled over onto his side, one hand cradling his throbbing skull, when he heard the door to the room creak open. With great effort, Hiro turned his head to look, opening his eyes and wincing at the sudden light.

"You're awake."

"No kidding," Hiro replied, voice raspy. These two words made him feel like a hammer was cracking against the inside of his cranium, but he felt the need to reply. After this statement, however, he closed his mouth and decided that the pain wasn't worth it, and perhaps it would be best to remain silent.

The Sukochi didn't speak, then, after a few seconds of silence, he left—leaving the door open. Obviously, this hadn't gone unnoticed, and while he was gone, Hiro forced himself to his feet... only to collapse(crying out as he did so) before he had even stood up completely. Suddenly incapable of moving, Hiro lay sprawled on the floor, waiting.

_He's taunting me. He knows that I can't move without being in extreme pain, so he's teasing me by giving me a means of escape. He's just going to leave me here, isn't he? So that he can laugh?_

However, within a few moments, the man returned with a cart—the kind that one might find at a hardware store. Seeing Hiro on the ground, he sighed, shaking his head, and knelt down beside him.

"Now, what was that supposed to accomplish?"

"You left the door open," Hiro muttered, his cheek pressed to the concrete floor. "What did you expect?"

"I expected you to be smart enough to not make a run for it while you have a major head injury," the Sukochi replied, amused. "I left the door open so that I could bring a few things in without having to open the door every time."

This said, the villain slid his hands under Hiro's limp form, lifting him off the ground and onto the bed—which was only a few feet away. He stared at him for a few seconds in silence, which Hiro took to mean _Try not to injure yourself this time._

Satisfied that Hiro was no longer in danger of hitting his head against the ground or something, the Sukochi left the room, returning with a small, square, plastic table. A few trips later(with which he brought a folding chair, an additional pillow, and a first aid kit), he left again to bring in a glass of water and a bottle of pills. Finally, he shut the door, effectively cutting off the light accosting Hiro's eyes.

"I have a gift for you."

"I don't really want it, thank you," Hiro murmured, shutting his eyes.

Even though Hiro couldn't see the Sukochi's face, he could have sworn that the man was rolling his eyes. "They're painkillers. I've had a few hits to the skull as well, and they're not fun."

Taking a few moments to brace himself, he began forcing himself into a sitting position. As he spoke, Hiro winced. "How... How do I know it's not poison or something?"

The man's voice was laced with exasperation, and he thrust the hand with the pills in it towards the injured teenager. "Why would I go to the trouble of bringing you here just to poison you?"

"Good point." Unwilling to go much longer without some relief, the young genius accepted the pills when they were handed to him without further comment. Almost instantly, the throbbing began to subside, until he was finally able to form coherent thoughts.

"Is that better?"

"Much... Why are you doing this?"

The Sukochi tilted his head slightly. "You're going to have to be a little more specific. Why am I doing what?"

"Well," Hiro began, his voice growing stronger with every second, "Why are you trying to recreate my neuro-cranial transmitter?"

The Sukochi let out a sharp bark of laughter, harsh and cold. "Are you still on that? I thought you were smarter than this, Hiro. I'm not."

"You're not what?" The college student's eyes narrowed in confusion, then opened wide as the man continued.

"I'm not recreating your neuro-cranial transmitter, Hiro. That was just to get you in the right place at the right time."

"But Duncan..." Hiro's voice broke as he remembered the policewoman's final moments, and he closed his eyes to fight off tears. "You killed her. You killed her so that you could steal the chip."

"No, I didn't. I killed her to get a message across," the Sukochi said quietly. "You really think I needed your transmitter? Get real. What I really needed... was you."

"You killed an innocent woman to get to me."

"Don't flatter yourself," the masked figure replied, voice hardening. "You're just another stepping stone to get to my real destination. With you here, your team will be focused on finding you—misleading them from my actual target."

"And what is that?" His voice was hard and furious, and Hiro forced the tears back, so that he could look the man in his eyes—which he couldn't see due to the red glass.

Unperturbed, the Sukochi continued as if Hiro had asked in a light, conversational tone. "Why, San Fransokyo Prison, of course."

* * *

_**[Well, this was shorter than I expected it would be. Oh well. Thank you for reading, if you have any questions, once again, please PM me! Thank you so much for your continued support!]**_


	10. ERROR 404: NOT FOUND

_**[Hello again! This chapter is a little shorter, but I felt like the last chapter didn't focus too much on what was going on with the rest of the team. They seem to be having some technical difficulties, huh? Looks like an unlikely hero will have to rise to the task! Please read and review-I'd love to know how I did! Thank you so much for your continued support!]**_

* * *

A little over two hours later, the team filed into GoGo's room, where she was lying on her cot—looking very unhappy and irritable.

"I can honestly say that this has to be the worst time to get a broken ankle."

Wasabi winced. "I hate to say so, but I agree. Maybe we could, I don't know, find a brace or something? Maybe Baymax-"

"Baymax is out of action," Honey Lemon reminded Wasabi quietly. "I know that we want to go out and find Hiro, but I think we need to figure out a plan first."

"What kind of plan do you have in mind, Honey Lemon? Because I'm at a loss for ideas."

"Hey, chill dude." GoGo's eyes were flint, staring the man down. "We get it, you're upset, but we need to remember to stick together."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't, I'm just saying that-"

"Will you guys just stop fighting?" Honey Lemon looked about ready to tear her hair out, placing her head in her hands.

Meanwhile, Fred remained at the side of the room, uncharacteristically quiet. Every so often, he'd glance at the red case, then turn back to the 'nerd herd', listening to their argument. Finally, he knelt down next to Baymax's container, running his fingertips over the control panel.

_I may not be a student at SFIT, but that doesn't mean I know nothing about technology._

Fred glanced up every couple seconds as he gently manipulated the cords, replacing one with another, until finally, he was satisfied.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Fred glanced up at Wasabi-who had finally calmed down-staring at him incredulously.

The English major shrugged. "My dad taught me about computers. I was never good enough at it to make a career for myself, but I caught a glimpse of the original panel. Hiro replaced it, but if I rewire it, the container should go back to the default settings."

The entire room suddenly fell silent, even GoGo's scowl replaced with something resembling resembling approval mixed with pure surprise.

"Since when-"

"I told you," the redhead said with a sigh, "My dad was great with computers. I just so happened to pick up on a few of his skills."

"And you only decided to tell us now?!" Wasabi didn't sound so much angry as incredulous, but Fred still winced.

"I didn't think it worth mentioning. Ow," he added, to see whether his adjustments had worked, and to his relief, the familiar whirring that came with Baymax emerging from his container filled the room.

"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion." The marshmallow man paused for a moment, considering the team in front of him. "Hello, Fred. What seems to be the problem?"

GoGo responded for him, cutting off the ginger's words. "I've broken my ankle. How long will it take to heal?"

Baymax was silent for a moment, then, replying in his monotone voice: "It takes about 6 weeks for a broken ankle to heal completely. I would suggest you remain off of it for that period of time, then see a physical therapist in order to learn to use it again."

The speed demon's eyes grew wide at this, and she leaned back, groaning with frustration. "Great. Just great. Can this seriously get any-?"

"Don't you dare," Honey Lemon interrupted, eyes wide. "You'll jinx it."

Baymax's head tilted to the side. "I'm sensing low levels of norepinephine and serotonin. What appears to be the problem?"

For the second time, the team fell silent. Finally, Honey Lemon felt the need to speak up.

"After you shut down at the warehouse, the masked man took Hiro."

"When will he be returning?"

Wasabi winced. "That's just it. We're not sure if he is, so we have to go looking for him as soon as GoGo's up to-"

"_Don't you dare."_

Shocked, the team turned to look at the figure on the bed, whose eyes had turned into hot coals. "Don't you even think about putting off finding the little dude for my sake. I'll never forgive myself."

The room fell silent once again, until Honey Lemon broke the silence. "Are you sure?"

"Very. Go save our friend-I'll be waiting here."

* * *

After finally managing to tear themselves away from the hospital room, the team was sitting back on the university campus, where they found themselves encountering another problem.

"What do you mean, you can't scan?!"

"I apologize for any inconvenience I am causing. However, I appear to be suffering from a malfunction in my scanner. I am incapable of using it currently." Baymax's monotone voice seemed almost apologetic—although the robot had no actual emotions to speak of.

Wasabi was growing increasingly frustrated as he paced back and forth on the grass. "What caused this malfunction?"

"This information is currently unknown."

"Do you know how this can be fixed?"

"This information is currently unknown. I would suggest asking Hiro for assistance."

Wasabi stopped to glare at the balloon-esque robot for a few seconds, before returning to his pacing, muttering something that certainly wouldn't be classified as K+ under his breath.

Honey Lemon and Fred sat on the grass beside Baymax, frowning as their friend vented. Fred had tried to ask the AI about his scanners, but Baymax ran into a wall every time he spoke, so he had given up.

Wasabi stopped pacing and glanced at the chemist—who was pulling handfuls of grass out of the ground and setting them on her companion. "Honey Lemon, can you try and talk some sense into this guy?"

Rolling her eyes, the Latina sighed and got to her feet. "I don't know what to tell you, Wasabi. I'm a chemist, not a robotics student."

"Neither am I, but it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

After a few seconds, Honey Lemon walked up to the robot, confused. "So... um... there isn't anything that you could do to remedy this?"

Baymax didn't reply for a few seconds, then: "I could run diagnostics."

Wasabi froze. "Then why didn't you do that in the first place?!"

"I have been 'doing that in the first place'," Baymax replied with something resembling sarcasm. "However, diagnostics have been having difficulties finding the issue. I am attempting an advanced scan, but this could take several hours, which—from your previous statements—we may not have."

_At least we're getting somewhere, _Wasabi thought with relief. "Run it anyways," he answered, sincerely hoping that this scan would fix whatever was going on with the nursebot. "In the meantime, we'll search the city. Maybe we'll find something."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Grumpy Pants," Fred replied cheerfully, jumping to his feet.

"Fred?'

"...Yes?"

"I will laser-hand you in the face."

"Sorry."

* * *

_**[Hello again! I just wanted to thank you guys so much for the support-it means so much to me, and I'll try to get to the next chapter as soon as possible! Oblivious out~! *throws self out of the frame*]**_


	11. Rubik's Cubes

_**[Hello again! I probably won't be updating for the next few days due to Easter and such. So, what has been going on with Hiro while the team's been dealing with broken ankles and technical difficulties? Let's find out!]**_

* * *

It was impossible to tell time in this room. There were no windows, no clocks, no cracks under the door that light could filter through. The door was simple enough, and could probably have been opened by even an amateur lock-picker.

Unfortunately, Hiro was not an amateur lock-picker. In fact, he'd never had any reason to open a locked door, and thus had never even considered how a lock might work. As he stared at the lock mechanism, however, he realized that perhaps this would be a good tidbit of knowledge to pick up on.

_It doesn't appear to run on any sort of electricity... and I am fairly certain that it could be opened with a key. That's about it._ Unable to glean any further knowledge from the offending keyhole, Hiro rose from his position on the floor and returned to pacing.

After that first conversation with his captor, he hadn't been able to deduce anything other than the fact that he had obviously stolen some of Hiro's tech at some point. Having this information tucked away for future reference, his mind was now focused entirely on the problem at hand: How to get out.

_What I wouldn't give for Tadashi's infallible sense of one-mindedness right now._

While the Elder Hamada had a completely focused mindset, this was one trait (of many) that the brothers did not share.

While Tadashi would be so focused on a project or idea that he'd crash into things, Hiro would sometimes get into such a state that he couldn't focus on anything completely. While this meant that he was exceptional at multitasking, it also meant that keeping his head on one thing at a time was nigh to impossible.

_Come on! What would Tadashi do? Take inventory, Hiro! What do you have with you? Okay, we've got a table. Brilliant. I'll pick a lock with the table. Wow, you're so smart. I wish I'd thought of that._

_And now you're talking to yourself. You know, if Baymax were here, he'd probably call the others... or diagnose you with puberty..or-_

_No! Inventory! Chair! I have a chair! I can... No... Maybe I can-_

_This is impossible._

Finally, Hiro gave up on attempting to take inventory and flopped onto the bed. The headache was still there, but having taken Ibuprofen every few hours, the pain had receded until it was almost nonexistent. The current issue of being incapable of following a train of thought was mainly due to the lack of sleep he had been getting in the past few days, a severe decrease in caffeine intake, and the fact that Hiro may or may not have had a case of what Aunt Cass would call 'scatter-brained-ness'.

While Hiro was mentally berating himself and essentially just being furious with everything and everyone in general, he didn't hear the door creak open and a man limp through.

"Well. I thought you might want something to do other than pace, but you're obviously too busy."

When the raspy voice hit Hiro's ears, he winced and sat up. "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything. I thought you might appreciate something to do," the man explained, setting a Rubik's Cube on the bed.

The young college student's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Will you tell me why you kidnapped me now?"

Once again, Hiro sensed that the masked man was rolling his eyes, although he couldn't see said optical sensors. "To throw your team off my trail. You aren't serving any purpose by being here, other than keeping the Big Hero 6 from interfering with my other plans." Anticipating the following question, he answered accordingly: "And while I may be a murderer, by no means do I lack hospitality. Thus, the Rubik's Cube."

Hiro tilted his head slightly, taking in the amused figure. "Why are you targeting the prison?"

The Sukochi laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Let's just say that there's someone there who I have a score to settle with."

"What did he do?" Hiro's voice was growing slowly quieter, unconsciously trying to match with the almost-whisper of the Sukochi's voice, and realized just as he was doing so.

"...He caused me some physical injury. I won't say any more than that."

_Physical injury..._

Hiro looked over the man in front of him, it suddenly dawning on him why he had never seen him without the mask—but what was more, was that now that the man was no longer wearing the cloak, he could see the slight differences in his armor on one side.

While on his left side the armor was plated, revealing black leather beneath, on the other side was completely gold-red, reaching deep into what appeared to be a cyber prosthetic. The prosthetic started just above his knee, resulting in a very slight change in design, and suddenly the reason the man limped became clear.

"You've lost a leg."

"It goes a little deeper than that, but yes, I have lost a leg. How nice of you to notice," Sukochi replied with barely concealed sarcasm.

The young genius fell silent for a few moments, then ventured curiously, "If it isn't too hard for you to talk about, may I ask in what manner you lost it?"

The masked man remained silent for a few seconds, then replied in his usual monotone voice. "You may ask, but I will not give you the correct answer."

"Then how about a lie?" Hiro figured that, if nothing else, he would be able to rule a few things out.

"I lost it in battle with a pirate." This said, he left, leaving the Rubik's Cube on the bed.

After he had shut the door, Hiro looked down at the Rubik's Cube and frowned.

"I don't even like Rubik's Cubes. I always end up breaking them or something."

_It's better than pacing._

"True. I guess I could occupy myself with this, if nothing else."

He leaned back on the bed, sighing, and heard the bed-springs creak beneath him.

That's when the idea finally hit him.

* * *

_**[Looks like Hiro's finally got an idea. Took him long enough, huh? Anyways, I'd like to thank you guys so much for the support you've been giving me! Please review and let me now how I did! I'd love to hear your theories on who the Sukochi is, too... And I am hoping to reveal the identity of the Sukochi at some point in the next two chapters, so just trying to throw a little anticipation in there... Anyways, Oblivious ou! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	12. For if the Dark Returns

**_[Hello, everyone! I know I said I wouldn't update, but I had some free time._**

**_So, I'd like to apologize in advance. I mean, I may or may not have tried to lead you on a rabbit trail. So em... hehehe... o.o_**

**_Turns out Hiro's more resourceful than we originally thought. What's his big plan this time? Read and find out! Please review,and, once again, I apologize. Please don't kill me.]_**

* * *

_Clank._

There was a pause as Hiro put all of his weight into moving the bed just enough to shift the piece of metal under it, then dropped it again.

_Clank. Clank._

Satisfied that the bed-spring was no longer in a corkscrew shape, Hiro pulled the piece of crooked metal out from under the bed. Having spent most of his energy trying to pull the surprisingly thick piece of metal out of the bed, he had spent what seemed like hours resting and contemplating how this could be turned into a lockpick, when his eyes alighted on the bedpost.

Hiro was certain that there were better, more convenient ways of flattening out a bed-spring, but being unable to think of any off the top of his head, he now found himself hammering it into a rudimentary lockpick with his bed.

_This is a crap lockpick._

"For once, I have to agree with you," Hiro mumbled, then stopped as he remembered that he was, in fact, talking to himself.

_That can't be healthy. Maybe you should see a psychiatrist._

"Sure, just as soon as I get out of here," Hiro replied without thinking, then sighed, shoved the lockpick under the mattress, and flopped down on the bed. It was far too early to use it—the metal piece was still so crooked that even Hiro's teeth would have a hard time competing—_Ha, ha. Very funny._

By now, the sound of the door creaking on it's rusty hinges was so familiar to the young genius' ears that he didn't even bother to look at the door, opting instead to grab a pillow and put it over his own head to block out the conversation that would inevitably come—the one that would distract him from the mission at hand.

"Go away."

"I'm sorry," the Sukochi replied, amused. "I don't understand pillow-speak."

"I said..." Hiro lifted the pillow off of his face for a brief second. "Go away." The pillow dropped back down.

"That's not very nice."

"Because, of course, you know everything about being nice, don't you?"

The Sukochi let out a sigh and sat down at the table, head tilted slightly to take in the supine figure on the cot. "You don't even know what I'm here to say."

"Probably something dumb."

"You might be surprised," the masked man responded, something not unlike irritation creeping into his voice.

It took a few minutes, but eventually the teenager's curiosity got the best of him, and he sat up, eyes locked on the man in front of him. "All right," he said quietly. "You have my attention."

The Sukochi watched him for a few seconds more, making sure that he wasn't going to interrupt, then forced himself to speak. "I'm sorry."

A suspicious expression flitted across Hiro's face, tugging at one of his eyebrows, then immediately disappeared, leaving the original stony countenance. "I see. Is that all?"

"None of this was supposed to happen." Seeing that his companion wasn't understanding, he plowed on: "I didn't mean to do this—any of it. It started small... I was just going to kill Yama to distract you, but then..." The Sukochi took a shaky breath, then leaned back, taking in Hiro's confusion.

"But then...?"

"It got out of control. You actually had a trail—that policewoman was on the verge of finding me. I was just going to scare her, I swear..."

"I don't believe you."

The Sukochi recoiled, then fell silent, chest tightening.

* * *

"I don't understand. It's been two days, Baymax. Two days! Why...?"

If the marshmallow robot had had the function of shrugging, he would have done so, probably eliciting a few giggles from the team. "I have done several advanced scans, and been incapable of finding the source of the error. It's likely that I have been hacked, but the probability of myself being unable to find and remove the network that is causing this is very low."

"Then why won't you scan?!" Wasabi's voice was steadily growing higher-pitched, until it was on the verge of cracking. This had been going on for several hours now, Wasabi pacing the floor of his lab until there was a black mark on the floor where he had created a groove in the concrete.

Honey Lemon and Fred were sitting off to the side, both amused and bemused, having spent a while like this. Fred, being the surprisingly decent computer programmer, had no idea what was causing Baymax to stay incapable of scanning, and so had left the problem to Wasabi's less-than-capable hands.

"Because the error will not be resolved."

"Isn't there anything you can do?!"

"I can scan again, however, this course of action seems to be an exercise in futility."

Wasabi took a step backwards, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Obviously. Baymax, let me see the code."

Baymax blinked his hyperspectral cameras, then a long line of code appeared on his front, revealing... absolutely nothing.

* * *

"I never meant to hurt her, just throw her off my trail, if she hadn't-"

"_Don't you dare."_

By now, Hiro was blinking back tears, furious and barely able to see through his blurred visual.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." The Sukochi sat up straight, confused.

"You were going to say that her death was her own fault," Hiro growled. "Now get out."

"Not until you tell me why you're reacting in this way."

"Why do you care?" The young genius' eyes flitted to look at him, then looked at the ground again, examining every line and scuff in the concrete.

"Call it instinct."

For a few moments, Hiro fell silent, considering the possibility of simply refusing to answer, then finally gave in. "...About a year back, someone said something similar to me when I lost someone close."

* * *

"Can't you just ignore the error and scan anyways?" Honey Lemon was getting more than a little tired of the back-and-forth argument that Wasabi was clearly losing, and decided that it was time to throw in her two cents.

"The error may interfere with the scan," Baymax replied matter-of-factly.

"The interference may be very minor, however."

"I find that hard to believe."

Fred looked up from his comic, confused. "And why is that?"

* * *

"...Your brother."

"Yes," Hiro whispered, not realizing that the tears were streaking down his face until one hit his hand. "Ca... The man who killed him. He had no remorse whatsoever. Tadashi was his best student," the college student hissed bitterly. "And the man didn't even have the decency to own up to his death."

"What did he say, exactly?" Hiro looked up, confused by the gentleness of the man's tone, as if he genuinely cared about his mental state.

"I... He said that it was his own fault. 'That was his mistake,'" Hiro corrected himself, mind wandering back to the conversation in the distant past.

"And did you want to kill him?" The masked man's voice was almost conversational, as if he were asking about the weather.

"Well... for a moment, yes. I did."

"What if Callaghan had permanently disfigured you?"

"I... what?" Hiro's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What if he had left you dying on the side of a road?"

"I don't understand-"

"What if he'd forced the only family you had to be completely alone, to grow up faster than anyone ever should, to take up a role that no fifteen-year old should ever have to take up?"

"_What are you talking about?!"_

The Sukochi stood up, the red glass seeming almost sad, but full of rage at the same time. "I'm trying to make you understand why I did all of this."

"I understand why, but what does this have anything to do with..."

"I'm sorry, Hiro. I never wanted this to happen, but it's too late now, he has to die."

"Too late for what?!"

* * *

"Baymax, what exactly is the error?"

The nurse-bot tilted his head, processing the question, then: "The figure known as: The Sukochi matches a patient in my database."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Fred asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"The subject has been recorded as deceased."

"But who...?"

Honey Lemon picked up where Fred had trailed off. "Who does the Sukochi match with?"

* * *

"It's too late to go back." The Sukochi paused, then sighed, his hand briefly touching the back of his neck. "Everything I do is for you, Hiro."

"Everything you _what-?_"

"I'm sorry, _otouto. _I'll be back when Callaghan is dead."

_Otouto._

"I..." Hiro was on his feet before his brain had even processed what had been said, but the masked figure was gone, out the door, closing and locking the door behind him.

_Otouto._

* * *

The nurse-bot remained still, staring ahead as the correct match began to process. "Match found. Shall I read the profile?"

"Yes!" Wasabi's irritation vanished in a moment, eyes bright with excitement as Baymax's audio processors filed away his response.

* * *

_Japanese term of endearment—Translation:** Little brother.**_

_**He's dead.**_

_**He can't... he's dead.**_

* * *

"Match found." Baymax's scanners were covered briefly as the nurse-bot blinked. "Subject: Sukochi matches with the patient known as..."

* * *

"_**Tadashi."**_

* * *

_**[Pleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillme]**_

_**[So, most of you figured out the identity of the Sukochi a while back. I tried to lead you guys on a rabbit trail with a previous Author's Note(because I hate figuring out the ending before it comes up, and I didn't want you guys to be disappointed...I'm so sorry!), but you guys saw through it pretty easily.**_

_**Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, please review and let me know how I did. I know I kind of threw any pretense of building up to this out the window, but...**_

_**Oblivious out! *fades into the shadows*]**_


	13. Antebellum

_**[I'm genuinely surprised-I was expecting a lot of negative feedback after that last chapter, but you guys were so nice! I have to say I have to have the best followers ever. ;u;**_

_**So, for once, I'm going to answer a few reviews, because I feel obligated to do so, and also because you guys are the best and I feel like I'm being antisocial.**_

_**HorseTechie: *hides behind wall* Please don;t damage the furniture! Actually, it's OBLIVIOUS, not Obvious. But yes, I agree. I am evil. :D Thank you so much!**_

_**Skating DJ: O.O That's a lot of 'I knew it's. It's like an army of them. I'm actually a little intimidated. Yeah, I kind of messed up a little bit with building up to it. .O Sorry! Thanks so much for the support-I really appreciate it!**_

_**Tony18: I have to agree with you. I feel horrible about it, but Callaghan never actually killed anyone. Tadashi's definitely a force to be reckoned with. o.o**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: Okay, first, I have to say I love your PenName. Second, I have a feeling I got a little OOC here with the teams' reactions. Wasabi would, in reality, probably scream. A lot. xD**_

_**theone: I'm glad this made you happy! ;)**_

_**Anonymous(Ooh, mysterious!): AGH. YOU'RE CRUSHING ME. *wrenches self out of hug* Aw, you're welcome! Thank you so much!**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: Yes, it is! I actually have quite a few chapters planned where the titles are actually song titles... hehe. I'm not very good with chapter titles. . No, thank you! I couldn't have done it without the support!**_

_**SanctuaryInMusic: No, you're not! I am. It's in the name, therefore I have proof. Anyways, I'm glad I managed to surprise you! I'm not very good with surprises. Really, I'm not. I'm rubbish at birthdays. Anyways, thank you so much!  
**_

_**And to everyone: Thank you all so, so much for your feedback and support! I couldn't have gotten this far without you guys! Now, onto the actual story, I'm sure you didn't come to read my monologue. o.o]**_

* * *

"_You've got to be kidding me."_

The room had fallen completely silent after Baymax's conclusion, complete shock coming off of the team in waves, almost sending Baymax's scanners into a frenzy.

"You see the error, then?"

"Let me see the patient file."

Honey Lemon walked to where Baymax was standing, poring over the file, examining the information the nursebot had gathered, then took a few steps back. "You say he's suffered from burns?"

"That is correct."

"When would you date these injuries?"

The marshmallow bot's internal network processed this for several seconds, finally spitting out an estimated date and displaying it on his front.

Fred stood up, walking to the blonde Latina's side. "That's the date of the SFIT showcase."

"But it can't be Tadashi," Wasabi replied, nerves frayed. "He would never kill anyone—and he certainly wouldn't hit Hiro upside the head with a crowbar."

"It wasn't a crowbar-"

"Shut up, Fred."

Honey Lemon took a few steps back, almost tripping over a skateboard—_I'm going to have to tell Hiro to keep his skateboard in his own lab-_

_Right._

"Baymax, are you sure it's...?"

'The only difference between the two patients is the burns, extensive damage to Sukochi's vocal cords, and the fact that the masked man does not have a left leg," Baymax replied—almost matter-of-factly.

At this, Fred's jaw almost hit the ground—metaphorically, of course. It was still very much attached to his face. "He lost a leg?"

"He appears to be using cyber-prosthetics to make up for it."

The room fell silent. As the team processed this, Baymax's scanner revealed that Wasabi at least was in shock.

"I hate to say it... but it makes sense," Honey Lemon murmured. She winced at the shocked glances that the other two team members gave her, then continued. "I mean, now we know how he recognized us."

"And how he hacked into the tracker on Hiro," Fred added.

"Also, it means he didn't need to steal Hiro's tech—they have a pretty similar style when it comes to that kind of thing," Wasabi finished, beginning to calm down somewhat. "What I don't get though is why?"

Fred's eyes suddenly lit up with horror. "Oh. Oh, no."

"What?"

"Remember the last time we fought a masked villain who we thought had died in the SFIT fire? What was their motivation?"

Honey Lemons eyes grew wide, understanding. "Revenge. But why steal the tech? If Tadashi is behind the mask, he wouldn't have needed to steal it, he's smart enough to-"

"It was a distraction," Fred said quietly, taking a step back and resting his hand on the windowsill to steady himself. "It was all to throw us off the trail."

"From what?" Wasabi had a feeling he knew, but was desperate for an alternative, perhaps he wasn't on the same page...

But he was. "Tadashi's going to make an attempt on Callaghan's life."

* * *

_Tadashi walked away from Hiro's door, suddenly overwhelmed by the weight on his shoulders. The familiar tightening of his chest forced him to sit down on the ground, waiting for it to pass. After the fire, the attacks had become more and more frequent, until any kind of confrontation made it almost unbearable. The fight by the docks had almost rendered him incapable of moving, but luckily his cyber prosthetics had made it a little easier—though not by much._

_The only respite Tadashi had had was when he meditated on what he was even now on his way to do. Somehow, he found the idea of repaying the man blow for blow, burn for burn, comforting. It was only fair, he reasoned. He had considered perhaps targeting Abigail for a little while, but dismissed very soon afterwards. Yes, he was on the verge of madness, but for once, the old Tadashi had broken through, persuading him not to touch the girl._

_Finally recovering from the panic attack, Tadashi forced himself to stand, a little shaky on his right leg, and continue to walk down the hallway. A side effect of the panic attacks, his throat suddenly began to ache, and tired of the routine, the elder Hamada strode to his room, searching for his medication. Finding it in a cabinet in the bathroom, he pulled the container open, dropping three pills into his hand, and self consciously pulling off his mask._

_As he usually did, Tadashi recoiled at the sight of his marred face, doing his best not to look at himself. It was harder in the first months of his recovery, but at least he had had the hope of healing. But it had been more than a year now, and they had showed little improvement, leaving him with the hollow feeling of hopelessness—that he would always look this way. _

"_You can't just keep pretending that you look normal. You're going to have to face it sooner or later."_

I'm going to leave soon, _Tadashi reasoned with himself, swallowing his terror, this crippling __**fear **__of his own face. _This will probably take a while, and I need to hurry.

"_Facing it will give you strength."_

Strength for what, though?

"_Strength to do what you have to do."_

_Tadashi knew that the voice—his voice—was right, and taking a deep breath, he let himself have a few seconds to prepare himself, face screwed up in a scowl, tears threatening to break through. _

"_You can have five seconds to break down. Then you have to get this over with."_

_He didn't want to, he really didn't want to, but..._

I'm a monster. I can't even look at myself in the mirror, how can I ever face anyone else ever again...?

"_One."_

This was never supposed to happen, but it did. It did, and it's Callaghan's fault, and I'm never going to be able to go back. I'm going to be an outcast for the rest of my life, because of a petty revenge feud.

"_Two."_

I was going to do so much... I could have done **so much more. **I wanted to change the world for the better, and I could have done it. I shone so bright, everything was perfect.

"_Three."_

I did my best. I did my best, but it didn't matter. People can't even look at me without screaming. I'm the monster mothers warn their children about, the kind that visits your nightmares. I can't change it, and I can't deal with it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

"_Four."_

I'm a cripple. I'm a monster. I'm a nightmare, a freak. I can't. I can't, I can't...

"_Five."_

_Tadashi forced his eyes to open, and looked at himself in the cracked glass. The tears that he had been holding back slid down his cheeks, burning his still-sore wounds, but instead of looking away, he forced himself to stare at the unfamiliar face looking back at him. _

_The entire left side of Tadashi's face was almost charred, skin peeling away to reveal the damaged muscle underneath, and running over his eye—which was almost completely blind, white scar tissue covering most of the damaged optic sensor. Most of the hair on that side was completely burned off as well, resulting in unsightly tufts sticking out in odd places, where they had audaciously decided that they would force their way through. _

_The scorch-marks started at the crown of his head, stretching down just to the side of his nose and reaching, reaching to lick Tadashi's collar bone. They didn't so much stop there as start to fade, resulting in slightly more red skin from the fire coming down to his stomach and shoulder-blades, stopping at his waist. There were no more burns on the rest of his body, but the fire hadn't left him with only that. The doctors had had to cut off any other area that had been unfortunate enough to be touched by the flames, so the burns that would have completely encased his left leg weren't there—but of course, neither was the leg._

_But that wasn't the worst part—one could recreate a leg with cyberprosthetics. _

_Without the armor around his neck, one would be able to see that the fire had burned through the muscle and skin on his throat, resulting in a small hole in his esophagus—resulting in the breathless rasp that he had been unable to get rid of, and a horrible scar that made it look as if he had hung himself. Due to this, he would forever have to cover up, or risk the piercing screams of people mistaking him for a vengeful spirit—which wasn't that inaccurate._

_The rest of his body was relatively unharmed—the right side of his face almost untouched, his remaining leg remarkably intact, but when looking at a person, one generally doesn't pay attention to what marks them as normal. The single chocolate brown eye shut itself tightly, tears squeezing out of his shut eyelids and trickling down his cheek, landing on the chrome faucet handle._

"_I'm a freak."_

You can't change it. But there is something you can do to ease your mental state.

"_I think..."_

It's about time we paid Callaghan his due.

* * *

_**Otouto.**_

By now, the partially finished lockpick underneath the mattress had been completely forgotten, it's shaper too caught up in the various emotions that simply refused tobe absorbed.

_TADASHI'S ALIVE._

Hiro laid back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. _Tadashi's alive... But he can't be. Was he lying? But it makes sense. No, it doesn't. Tadashi would never kill anyone._

_Would he?_

_Tadashi would never hurt me. But... if that's true, why am I here?_

_What happened to him?_

Only more confused than ever, Hiro groaned and rolled over—falling on the concrete again. Standing up, he leaned against the wall to steady himself, unsure of whether he should smile or cry. The headache was beginning to make a reappearance, and what with trying to escape, and the sudden reappearance, everything was suddenly so overwhelmingly frustrating.

_Clink._

The sound of the lockpick against the other bedsprings caught his attention as he sat down on the bed again, and after a moment of thought, reached under to pull it out.

_I may not know why he went to this extreme, or why he never came back, or why he hit me in the head with a freaking pipe, but I know one thing for certain. _

_I lost Tadashi once. I'm not going to let it happen again._

* * *

Kasumi—commonly known as Cass—sat down at her kitchen table, coffee in hand. Her trademark smile, warm and welcoming, had somehow vanished, leaving a blank, numb expression that didn't seem right.

_I can't do it. I only just lost Tadashi, I can't...! I can't lose Hiro too, not this soon._

She lifted the cup of steaming black liquid to her lips with trembling hands, only to drop it as the tears began to flow.

"_I'm sorry!"_

She stood up, not even bothering to survey the shattered glass and scalding coffee on the floor as she sunk to her knees, sobbing.

"_I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect them. I promised that I'd keep them safe, and I've failed. I let Tadashi give up his childhood for his brother, and I let Hiro give up his for the city. And now, they may have both given their lives..."_

Kasumi let the tears mingle with the coffee on the floor then, steeling herself, got on her hands and knees to pick up the hot shards of glass, ignoring the pain. A few times the sharp pieces cut her hands, but she ignored it as she dropped the remains of her favorite mug into the garbage can.

_"I'm sorry, Maemi... I couldn't protect them in your stead."_

* * *

Hiro picked up the finished lockpick with shaking hands, desperately shoving it into the door.

_Please, please, please..._

_For Tadashi, please..._

It took a little over ten minutes, but eventually, the former bedspring did it's work. Excitedly, Hiro shoved the door open, stumbling into the open hallway. Almost flying down the hallway, the teenager burst through a door into the wide open space of a warehouse, fresh air hitting him from all sides. In the far corner, Hiro could make out a smudge of purple, a splash of red.

_My armor...?_

Moving as fast as his legs could take him, he skidded to a stop by the multicolored carbon-fiber armor, picking up piece by piece and strapping it on. He paused at the helmet, examining the shattered visor, then sighed as he set it on his head, the large dent where the pipe had hit rubbing against his skull. He grimaced, adjusting it slightly, then activated the newest feature on his set of modern armor—the rocket thrusters set into his boots.

Hiro took a deep breath, then with a skating motion, flew out of the enclosed warehouse, headed directly for the San Fransokyo Prison.

_I'm coming, Tadashi. Please, for me... Don't be gone._

* * *

**_[Agh. The feels. I hate myself for this chapter. . Please review and let me know how I did!]_**


	14. In Which We Discover the Third Body

_**[Oh. Oh dear. I feel so bad for this chapter. I would like to apologize in advance. Now, for more answers to your lovely reviews! Honestly, you guys are amazing.**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: Aw, thanks! I'm sorry about the feels, though... And I apologize once more in advance.**_

_**Kathryn51703: I hadn't thought of it as two personalities; that's an interesting way to think about it. Hm. I might end up using that idea, if that's alright? **_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: That's the understatement of the day. xD Yes, it's a little odd. I intend to address that in a later chapter. No worries, I won't leave that hanging! For too long, at least.**_

_**Anonymous: I know... I rarely get feels while writing(I'm a rock when it comes to feels), but even I felt bad for Tadashi.**_

_**Thank you so much! ;U; Oh gosh I'm actually getting a little teary over here. u**_

_**I know. It's actually painful watching it. Gah. Thank you again!**_

_**Tony18: Thank you! I'm touched, really. ;u;**_

_**Oh, you have no idea. (ehehehe...)**_

_**HorseTechie: Ah, sorry! Thank you so much... I really should delve into Cass' past some more, I'm just trying to look for an opening for it. .**_

_**Ah, that's alright. xD I've done that more times than you realize. I completely understand-coffee is a necessity for me, otherwise I end up crashing into walls even more than I already do.**_

_**Everyone else: Thank you so much for bearing with me this far! Please don't kill me for this chapter. I don't think I would be able to come back. o.o]**_

* * *

Hiro almost fell over for the third time after turning a corner, moving faster than he probably should have in order to get to San Fransokyo Prison. At least once, he knocked a pedestrian over, and he had almost been hit by several cars, but having his usual uncannily good luck(ha, ha), he managed to avoid certain death.

Hiro wasn't entirely sure what to expect when he reached the prison—dead security guards perhaps, or reports of an assassin slipping past? A few times, Hiro had a terrifying vision of the entire building on fire, then shook it off, putting on an extra burst of speed as he jumped over a large crate by the sidewalk.

_I suppose the big question is what I'm going to do as soon as I find him... I can't just fight him, not after everything. I just hope he isn't too far gone to reason with. _

_**He murdered innocent people, Hiro. Don't put too much faith in him.**_

_He's also my brother, though. He never gave up on me. It's time to return the favor.  
_

* * *

Tadashi barely had the time to pull out his stun gun before the first guard came at him. He had slipped unseen through the front area with no problem, but now that he was on the floor where Callaghan was being held, things were beginning to get a little harder with nowhere to hide.

It didn't matter, of course, as he had prepared for this eventuality, and thus brought several weapons to use against anyone who got in his way—as they no doubt would. Turning a corner, he had stumbled upon four Security Guards, all with a gun in the holster. One had already run for the alarm, leaving three surprised and determined opponents between himself and his target.

Lunging forward, the elder Hamada shoved the electrified piece of metal into the guard's stomach, allowing himself a slight smirk as he went down without so much as a cry of pain. Looking up, he saw the man's two companions—a man and a woman—draw their guns, a mixture of fear and fury clouding their gazes.

Tadashi stood up straight from his position by their fallen comrade, and felt a grin slide across his face as he popped the joints in his neck.

_You want me?_

_Come and get me._

* * *

"We need to get to the prison, ASAP."

Fred frowned. "Shouldn't we tell GoGo and Aunt Cass that Tadashi's alive, first?"

"There's no time," Wasabi replied, catching the keys as Honey Lemon tossed them in his direction. "It's time to suit up, everyone."

The mascot nodded, pressing a button on his backpack's shoulder strap, and grinned as the armor quickly encased him. _This has to be the best part of being a superhero,_ Fred thought to himself as his hands became monster's claws. Looking at his friends, he smiled as Wasabi's hands sparked laser swords to life, and Honey Lemon's helmet clicked into place on top of her neckguard.

"You guys ready?"

Honey Lemon picked up her trademark purse, slung it across her shoulder, and gave the boys a shaky smile. "As we'll ever be, I guess."

"I think it's time we went and got our friends back."

* * *

Hiro practically flew into the front area of the prison, knocking over a few chairs as he did so. Quickly switching off his boots, he stumbled past the shocked receptionist after a quick explanation, running for Callaghan's floor.

_Please, please don't let me be too late..._

Suddenly, the young genius stumbled over something, falling flat on his face.

"Are you serious...?!" Getting up, he looked back, irritated, and realized that it wasn't just anything he had tripped over, but the body of an unconscious security guard.

Moving quickly to make sure that he was still alive, he stepped over the fallen guard gently, careful not to trip over him. As he ran past several more fallen guards—all stunned—Hiro suddenly felt his chest grow tight with fear, something rising up in him that he had never associated with his brother in his life... Doubt.

_What if Tadashi can't be reasoned with? What if he's too far gone to bring back?_

* * *

Tadashi finally stunned the final guard outside of Callaghan's cell, stepping over her unconscious form to the barred room. He wasn't entirely sure what it was he expected when he looked into the cell of his former professor. Perhaps a cowering figure, with fear in his eyes? A blank-faced psychopath?

Wrenching the door off it's hinges, Tadashi stepped into the small room, finding who he was looking for on the bed. Callaghan wasn't even looking at him, preferring to gaze at the wall. For a brief moment, the young man paused to consider the figure on the bed, then spoke.

"Hello, Professor."

"Hello, Tadashi. It's nice to hear your voice again—even if it's not as I remember it."

Taking a step back, the former student's eyes widened with surprise. "So you recognize me?"

"Who else would have the motive to make it their mission to hurt as many people as possible in order to get to me?" Callaghan's voice wasn't so much sad as resigned, as if he had accepted what his previous star student was about to do.

"That's hardly fair, Professor. Weren't you the one who put hundreds of lives at risk in order to suck a building into a portal?" Tadashi's voice was light—well, as light as it could be—but underneath the cheerful tone, his mind was moving several miles a second. _How dare he speak to me of hurting people? I never set anyone on fire, after all.  
_

"At least I never actually murdered anyone." The former professor finally looked up at his student, face completely devoid of any emotion. "Isn't that right, Sukochi? I heard about your little scheme from one of the guards. I also knew the instant you revealed your knowledge of Hiro's identity that only one person could be behind that mask." Callaghan allowed a small smile to creep across his face, taking in the masked figure's shock. "I figured that you'd be coming for me soon. I guess I deserve it."

"You've got that much right," Tadashi chuckled to stifle his shock, reaching into his coat. "Believe me when I tell you that you've had this coming for far too long." Pulling out a small handgun, the elder Hamada let the firearm settle in a comfortable position to aim at the prisoner's chest.

"I agree," Callaghan replied without blinking. "I almost murdered a man in cold blood, and I set a fire that _did _murder someone. I can only imagine the pain you must be feeling."

For a moment, Tadashi didn't understand, then felt a stabbing pain in his chest as the meaning of his professor's words hit him. Shaking it off immediately, the gun leveled, pointing at Callaghan's head.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"Not especially..." Callaghan trailed off, then continued thoughtfully. "Only that I don't believe you."

"You... don't believe me?" The masked man frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

The convict shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't believe you can kill me."

As it dawned on him, Tadashi suddenly let out a sharp bark of bitter laughter. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew how many times I've imagined killing you in the most painful ways possible. Be glad I'm ending it quickly."

"Do you remember your robotics project?"

Pausing as he was cocking his pistol, the man nodded. "Baymax."

"He's a healthcare companion, correct? You created him with the intention of changing the world for the better," Callaghan said quietly. "He has helped countless people since then, both as a superhero and a doctor."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He was created by a man I knew once," the prisoner continued, as if Tadashi hadn't spoken. "That man was determined to not only see the world for what it was, but to fix it. He told me over and over how excited he was to see how his creation would change people's lives."

The former student was silent as he contemplated this.

"He was a good man."

"The best man I've ever known," Callaghan agreed. "Tadashi Hamada was an inspiration to us all."

Tadashi didn't speak, emotions raging in his already tight chest.

"What happened to that man I knew?"

Finally, the cloaked figure spoke, looking up at the former professor, placing his finger on the trigger.

"He died, in pain and screaming, in the SFIT showcase fire."

* * *

Hiro wasn't entirely sure when the last time he visited Callaghan was.

_Oh, right. Never._

He had gone with Wasabi to drop Abigail off at the prison, due to her inability to drive for a while, and knew the cellblock... but he had never bothered to learn exactly which cell Callaghan was residing in. What would be the point?

And now he was paying the price for it.

"Tadashi Hamada was an inspiration to us all."

Hiro stopped in his tracks. He knew that voice, didn't he? Picking his way through the unconscious bodies on the ground, he finally stopped, peering around a corner. He stood up straight as he saw the cell door on the floor, and winced as the voice hit his ears again.

"What happened to that man I knew?"

Steeling himself, Hiro stepped into the cell behind his brother's back as he replied.

"He died, in pain and screaming, in the SFIT showcase fire."

"Tadashi."

Both of the figures in the room froze, turning to look at the armored teenager standing in the doorway. Before the elder Hamada could respond, Hiro continued, voice starting to break.

"Please, Tadashi. Don't do this."

"Go home, Hiro. This is none of your concern."

Hiro almost flinched when his brothers words pierced the near silence. "Yes, it is. I'm not going to let you kill him."

"Since when do you care about him?" Tadashi's voice sounded... angry, almost... Mocking. "Isn't this the man who took me from you?"

"_You're _the one who left, Tadashi. Callaghan took you from me, but you're the one who chose to stay away."

Suddenly, the masked figure grew very still. "Hiro, I'm suggesting you leave, right now."

"Listen to your brother, Hiro." Callaghan's voice was gentle, but firm. "This isn't your fight."

_Yes, it is._

Ignoring the professor, Hiro moved into the line of fire, shrugging off the indignant protests behind him and placing himself between his older brother and the convict on the bed.

"I know you're better than this, Tadashi. You've become even worse than Callaghan."

"Callaghan did what he did for revenge. I'm administering justice."

"You call this justice?" The teenager's voice broke as he almost shouted the last words. Hiro took several shaky breaths, forcing back his terror and the tears that were threatening to choke him. "This isn't justice, Tadashi. This is murder."

"For a good reason," Tadashi growled, eyes locked on his younger brother.

"There's no good reason to kill someone." the college student blinked back the blurriness that was threatening to compromise his vision. "Please... give up this ridiculous fantasy. Dashi..." Hiro took a deep breath, and continued. "Please, Nii-chan. Come home."

* * *

Honey Lemon was the first one to reach the front door, her hair flying behind her. The front room was, for the most part, deserted, except for the security guards outside the door into the next part of the prison. They were arguing agitatedly, some waving their arms and almost hitting each other as they did so.

As Wasabi and Fred helped Baymax enter the room, she ran to them, eyes wide. "What's going on? Where is everyone?"

The security guards glanced at each other uneasily. "We thought you already knew. Your leader didn't tell you?"

Honey Lemon frowned. "No, he's MIA."

"Not anymore," one of them piped up. "He ran in there not too long ago to stop the masked man."

Just then, Baymax's voice carried to the blonde. "Tadashi is here."

"Yes, you were right all along, Baymax," Wasabi replied to him, finally helping him clear the entrance. "Tadashi's alive."

"Tadashi is _here,_" Baymax insisted, straightening up.

"Baymax is right," Honey Lemon said loudly, catching the boys' attention. "The Sukochi is in the building." She lowered her voice so as not to raise the suspicions of the security guards, and added, "And so is Hiro."

Fred gasped audibly—which was an accomplishment from inside the insulated kaiju suit. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go help him!"

"No!"

Honey Lemon and Fred turned to stare at Wasabi, shocked. "What do you mean, _no?_"

"Guys, Tadashi's obviously in a fragile state right now," Wasabi explained, indignant. "If Hiro's here, it means he's trying to break through to him. Do you really think our presence is going to help that?"

"We're their friends, dude," Fred said, confused. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Not to hurt your guys' feelings or anything," Wasabi said gently, "But if you don't remember, the last time one of the Hamada bros was in a delicate state of mind and we tried to help, he ended up leaving us stranded on Akuma island."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Honey Lemon sounded more frustrated than anything, as if she just wanted this whole nightmare finally over with. "Leave them alone?"

Wasabi took a deep breath, then continued. "I say we give Hiro five minutes, then if we don't hear anything, we go up ourselves."

Fred and Honey Lemon looked at each other uneasily, then Fred let out a long breath of resignation. "Okay. Why not?"

* * *

Hiro watched the mask on his brother's face, looking straight into the red glass. His vision was blurred with tears, threatening to spill down his cheeks, and he was fairly certain that his hands were shaking.

_Come on, Tadashi. I know you're better than this. Please, just... listen._

The elder Hamada remained silent for several seconds, then, in a short, clipped voice, answered. "How can you forgive a man who took everything from you?"

For a moment, Hiro wasn't entirely sure how to respond, then let out a long breath. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it'?"

When Hiro didn't receive a response, he plowed forward. "When I first found out what he'd done, I was furious. I didn't think I'd ever be able to forgive him, and I _did _try to kill him. But I knew that if I did that, I'd regret it immediately, and I'd be just as bad as him."

"I almost wish you had gone through with it," Tadashi replied quietly.

"Do you remember the last time I went out botfighting?"

Taken off guard, Tadashi didn't reply for a moment, then nodded wordlessly.

"You remember how you told me afterwards that you felt kind of bad about punching Yama in the face?" Hiro smiled a little bit at the memory through his tears, swallowing his fear. "The Tadashi I knew was selfless and compassionate—so much so that he felt guilty about hitting a seasoned gangster. I know you don't think that he's in there anymore... But I know better."

"Do you?" The former college student's voice softened slightly, and Hiro suddenly felt a spark of hope.

"Yes."

"What makes you think that?" Tadashi didn't sound so much indifferent as curious, as if he were genuinely curious.

"The Rubik's cube. Remember?" Hiro smiled, the attention to his medical needs explained.

"I didn't want you to be bored is all," Tadashi said quietly, almost as if he were trying to convince himself. "Besides, I did knock you out with a pipe."

"There is that," Hiro admitted, a frown briefly crossing his features. "And I'm not too pleased about that... But you know what, Nii-chan?"

"...What?"

Hiro allowed himself a small smile, looking up at the masked figure looming over him. "I'm not giving up on you."

_That _caused a reaction.

_Oh. He... He remembered.  
_

_Of course he did. Did I really doubt that he would?_

Tadashi hadn't realized that he was still aiming the gun until this moment, but the second he looked at his shaking hands, he dropped it, taking a step back.

"Otouto..."

Hiro took a step forward, reaching for Tadashi's sleeve and giving his arm a gentle squeeze. The instant he did so, silent tears began to stream down his face, visible through the shattered visor.

"I missed you, Tadashi."

He didn't respond for a minute, but finally, he moved forward, reaching out to wrap his arms around his little brother. As he did so, Tadashi felt himself heave a gentle sob, closing his eyes.

"I missed you too, Hiro."

The college student leaned over as his older brother sank to his knees, arms still firmly wrapped around him, and pressed his face into his shoulder. "Don't you dare leave me ever again," he murmured, letting out a slight chuckle.

Tadashi opened his eyes, looking over Hiro's shoulder, and his eyes locked on the forgotten figure on the bed. The voice that had for a few minutes now remained silent began to rise up in him again, taking advantage of his aching chest.

_Freak._

_**I can't leave Hiro alone again.**_

_He deserves a better brother._

_**But he doesn't **_**want ****_a better brother. He wan_ts me.  
**

_You've come this far, man.  
_

_You can't come back now, not after everything you've done, after everything you've become._

_Finish it._

_Finish it._

_**Finish it!**_

"_I'm sorry, Hiro."_

Hiro glanced up at his brother, blinking away tears. "I forgive you."

"Not for that," he murmured.

Hiro tilted his head slightly, and felt his brother's hold on him tighten for a second. He realized what Tadashi was going to do only picoseconds before it happened, and felt his eyes open wide with horror. In almost an instant, Tadashi pushed his brother away, taking his pistol up off of the ground.

"_Tadashi,__** no!**__"_

The elder Hamada's finger wrapped around the trigger, aiming at the man whose eyes had suddenly grown wide with shock.

It was a perfect shot.

That is, it would have been, if a small hand hadn't wrapped around his wrist, yanking it with all of the energy it had left, away from the former professor. Tadashi felt himself fall sideways, twisting to avoid hitting the ground, and trying to rip the hand on his wrist off.

_**CRACK.**_

In the confusion, the gun went off. There was a sharp scream of pain, and a spray of blood.

When Tadashi hit the ground, he felt the breath go out of him in an instant, and, gasping for breath, forced himself to sit up, frantically searching for the source of the dark stream of red gathering on the floor.

He couldn't suppress a cry of horror and fear as he saw the limp figure of his little brother on the ground, with the bullet buried in his flesh.

* * *

_**[Pleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillme]**_

_**[Okay, this chapter was actually physically painful to write. I like to write angst, and shooting characters isn't a big deal to me most of the time, but my rock-esque personality cracked at this. . I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me!]  
**_

_**[I'm actually kind of scared to post this chapter. o.o Forgive me father, for I have sinned.]**_


	15. The Darkness That You Felt

_**[Hello again, everyone! I apologize for taking so long to update after the cliffhanger... I had STUFF to do and yeah.**_

_**All of the answers to your guy's reviews are at the bottom of the page, to avoid spoilerifics!  
**_

_**So, here's the next chapter: Enjoy!]**_

* * *

_Wha...? What's that noise? I don't... How did I get here? More importantly, where is _here?

Hiro felt his eyes open slightly, wincing at the sudden white light that flooded his unsuspecting irises. He couldn't identify the source of the light, and finally opted to close his eyes again to ease the pain in his aching skull.

_You know, it's not so bad here. It could really be a lot worse. You'd suspect a lot worse after being shot._

_After being shot._

_What?!_

Hiro's eyes shot open, and his hands suddenly scrabbled for something, anything to assure him that this was real. The light hit his eyes again, and he felt himself begin to hyperventilate, chest heaving—and a dull throbbing in his collar area flaring up as he did so.

_Oh, oh no. I was shot. I... __**Tadashi **__shot me. What...?! _

_Why is it so bright?! I..._

_Oh. I'm... I'm dead. Aren't I?_

_Mom. Dad. I'm going to see them again, but... I'm not ready. I'm not ready to die. Someone help me!_

"His vitals are going haywire. The patient appears to be in shock... Hiro, can you hear me? Hiro, we need you to calm down."

_Vitals? Patient? _

_That's it! Thank God... I'm not dead. I'm just in a hospital._

Hiro realized exactly how rapidly his heart was beating, and winced as his head throbbed again.

"Hiro, I'm going to need you to listen to me, okay?" The voice sounded anxious, and Hiro realized that it was female—probably a nurse. "I'm going to give you some instructions, and you're going to have to work with me, got it? I need you to take a deep breath and hold it for five seconds, then let it out. Can you do that for me?"

The college student nodded, complying with her commands as she gave them, until he felt his heart begin to settle down.

"There we go," the nurse said soothingly. "You're alright. Do you remember what happened?"

Hiro let himself take a couple seconds to gather his thoughts before replying. "I was shot."

"Yes, and then you hit your head immediately after."

Hiro's eyes finally adjusted to the light—he realized that it had been coming from a particularly irritating sunbeam through the open window—and he looked into the concerned face of a woman in her 30's. "Did I?"

"Yes... Your friends brought you in."

Hiro frowned. "My friends?"

"Yes... You're part of that superhero team, aren't you?"

Letting out a groan of frustration, the teenager fell back onto his pillow. "Yes, that would be me."

"The robot, one of the girls and the two guys showed up carrying you. There was another, but..."the nurse trailed off, then shrugged. "I'd never seen him before,even in the news, so-"

"What do you mean?"

The nurse frowned. "The guy in the gray mask? With the freaky red eyepieces?"

* * *

"...Okay, so from what you're telling me, Hiro's been shot..."

"Yes," Honey Lemon replied quietly.

"...By Tadashi..." GoGo continued, eyes full of suspicion.

"Yes."

"Who was actually aiming for Callaghan..."

"Yes."

"And has become some kind of Iron Man/Prince Zuko/Ezio/Winter Soldier hybrid...?"

Fred let out a soft cackle, only to be elbowed by Wasabi and forced to fall silent.

Honey Lemon winced. "I know it sounds crazy."

GoGo shook her head, massaging her temples as she did so. "No, no, no. If you had come to me and told me that the teletubbies were taking over New York, _then _it would sound crazy. This, however, sounds completely and totally impossible."

"We agree," Wasabi muttered, sighing. "We're not entirely sure how it happened, but something messed him up in the head. He has almost no moral code whatsoever."

"At least that we can agree on," Honey Lemon said quietly, wincing as she said it. "I hate to say it guys, but I'm starting to think that he's gone too far over the edge."

"I thought you said that he helped get Hiro to the hospital," GoGo interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, that has to count for something."

"I think we all know thatanything involving Hiro lies outside of Tadashi's morals," Wasabi piped up. "I mean, the guy got arrested and punched a man in the face for his little brother—things that he usually would never do unless his life depended on it."

"I suppose that's true," GoGo replied grudgingly. "You do realize what that means though, right?"

Fred suddenly stood up from his chair. "I think I know what you're about to say, and I can say right now that I don't approve."

"Tadashi shot his little brother, Fred!" From inside a hospital bed, GoGo seemed surprisingly intimidating, having lost none of her dangerous countenance. "He's too far gone. We can't bring him back from this.

"Maybe you can't, but Hiro can."

Turning to look at Honey Lemon, the group saw her eyes immediately avert themselves to stare at the floor. "I mean, we saw the footage. He almost came back to us, but something happened. Something triggered that reaction. I think, given the right environment, Hiro could be the key in getting our best friend back."

"Here's the question though," GoGo said quietly, sitting up. "Should we give him the chance?"

"Of course," Fred answered immediately. "I can't believe you would even suggest us not having faith in him—it's Tadashi, guys!"

"You have to remember that our Tadashi never murdered anyone," Honey Lemon said in a subdued tone. "I'm with you, Fred, we should definitely give him the chance. I think that after what just happened, he's more than willing to listen. But he's already murdered two people—almost three, one being Hiro. I don't want to believe it any more than you guys do, but..."

Honey Lemon didn't need to finish her sentence. It was already on all of their minds.

_If we can't get Tadashi to listen to reason, we're going to have to put him away—for good._

* * *

"Ow."

"...Ow."

"OW."

"DANGIT BAYMAX, I... Oh. Right."

Hiro almost slapped himself when he remembered that Baymax wasn't in the room to react to his call, and forced himself to relax, closing his eyes. He wasn't so much bored, per se, as desperate for information. It had been two days, and so far, the only visitor had been Aunt Cass.

_It's not as if I don't appreciate her company... I missed her. A lot. I'd just love an update from the team on what's going on._

But for reasons unknown, they'd decided to keep to themselves, leaving him in isolation. Again.

During the first day, he'd been in too much pain to move, but after the painkillers had numbed the area effectively, he'd been more eager to move than anything else.

"Hey, little dude."

Hiro's eyes almost hot open, and he looked to the door, smiling as Fred moved into his line of vision. "Hey."

"How're you feeling?" The mascot sat down in a chair placed conveniently beside the bed, and leaned back.

"Like crap, but I'm guessing that's normal after a bullet wound." Hiro winced as he propped himself up on his elbow, taking in the lone visitor. "I'm also a little peeved that I've been out of the loop. What happened?"

"...You got shot."

"In other obvious news, the sun rose this morning," the college student muttered scathingly. "Anything else? One of the nurses said that Ta... the Sukochi helped me to the hospital."

Fred let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Hiro, we know that the Sukochi's been Tadashi the whole time. We found out before you even got to the prison."

"He shot me."

"It was an accident," Fred said, a little darkly to Hiro's surprise. "He never meant to hurt you. Do you remember what happened just before you got hit?"

"He was aiming for the professor," Hiro said quietly. "Tadashi was going to shoot him... I tried to stop him."

"His finger was already on the trigger when you grabbed his hand," Fred explained quietly. "He was already pulling it when you pulled him away."

"Is Callaghan alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine," the redhead replied, grinning. "You saved his life... and almost at the cost of your own." his voice trailed off, and he sighed. "We were worried that you wouldn't make it."

"Hey, it'll take more than a gunshot wound to take me out," Hiro chuckled. "It's just a flesh wound."

"Was that a Monty Python reference?"

"Yes, it was. You never answered my question, though: What have you guys been up to?"

Fred didn't answer for a moment, then leaned back and sighed. "We've been discussing our next move."

"What do you mean?" Hiro frowned. "We're going after Tadashi, and we're going to talk some sense into him."

"That's what I said, but..."

"But...?"

"...There's been some worry that he might be too far gone." The English major winced at the sudden irritation in the younger Hamada's gaze, then continued. "I wanted you to be in on the conversation, but we didn't want to bother you while you were healing, and you're obviously a little biased, so..."

"Fred, you forget that I'm the one who was shot... and hit upside the head with a metal pipe... and had one of my friends stabbed in the throat and then thrown off a building."

"True."

"What decision did you decide to come to without me?" Hiro's voice had a steel edge to it, obviously furious at not being included in such an important matter.

"...We decided to give Tadashi a chance. He was our best friend, after all. We'll go find him, then try to talk some sense into him."

"And what if that doesn't work?"

Fred looked up at the teenager, and in that instant, Hiro knew exactly what he would say.

"You're going to put him in jail? You're going to give the disfigured, crippled, mentally unstable person who used to be your best friend a single chance to redeem himself, and if it doesn't work out, you're going to put him in jail?"

"Of course not," Fred said, eyes suddenly hardening. "Tadashi was my best friend. I have more faith in him than that. I know that's what the rest of the team wants, and they have the entire city in mind when they say that, but I'm more loyal to my friends." Fred took a moment to compose himself, then plowed on. "If it comes to it, I'll help him make an escape before that happens... Not that he'll need it. He's going to need time to rehabilitate, and I think you should be with him for that."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

Fred smiled a little, a conspiratory twinkle in his eye. "The team intends to leave as soon as you're completely well, but that could take more than a little while. I'm suggesting we break you out before they're prepared, then take off on Tadashi's trail."

Hiro was silent, then let out a long breath. "Okay. What happens after that?"

"When we find Tadashi, you're going to need to talk him out of this weird psycho killer phase, then we'll come back. Hopefully, the rest of the team will understand and forgive us."

Hiro allowed himself a small smile. "I'm glad someone's on my side."

"Hey, your brother helped me through some rough times in high school. It's about time I paid him back." Fred stood up, stretching. "I'd better get back. You get better soon, okay? I'll let you know when we're breaking out."

"I'll do my best to be better," Hiro replied, grinning, and when Fred held out his hand for the customary fist-bump, the younger Hamada only winced a little as he responded in turn, waving as his friend left.

* * *

_**[Hello again! I really put way too many references to other shows and such in this chapter. I have a problem. xD**_

_**Here are the answers to your reviews, as promised at the top of the page:**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: Thank you so much! Hehe... Because of course I made that intentional. (Seriously, the best parts of my writing were put in by accident. xD My subconscious is awesome.)  
**_

_**DestinyWing: I'm sorry to hear about that. ;-; If it makes you feel any better, I think it's AWESOME that you're so accomplished. It's incredible that you're multilingual-I find English hard enough, and it's my native language. xD**_

_**Kathryn51703: Yeah, I was intending something similar to that. ^-^ Thank you!**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: No kidding, huh? I certainly hope not! Hiro has to live so that he can become the gummy bear king at the end of the story!**_

_**Nausicaa of the Spirits: ...I want to read this. o.o What is it called?**_

_**Tony18: I'm sorry about that. .o ...Seriously though, dude. Are you Ed Sheeran? Your descriptions are absolutely stellar. I'm actually a little jealous. **_

_**Nah, I am fairly certain it won't end the way you're thinking. ;) I have the ending in mind, and I'm HOPING that it won't be TOO tragic. It all depends, though.  
**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: Well, when I outlined it, I planned out 20 chapters. However, while writing, I've found that I've had to change several aspects, so it might end up a little longer or shorter due to a major plot twist that I hadn't anticipated. I also intend to add a couple extras at the end(like, extra scenes that I cut out, or things that I had intended to happen, or alternate endings. I dunno). It could end up being thirty chapters, or end at 18. I don't know, but it certainly won't end here!**_

_**HorseTechie: Seriously, I was thinking that exact same thing while writing that. xD I'm cracking up over here.**_

_**SanctuaryInMusic: *sheepishly hands you back your heart in tatters* I apologize for the feels. I'm truly sorry. Oh. No, wait. No I'm not. *evil laughing***_

_**Squideepoo: Mm. Nope, I don't think it was lethal. Hiro seems pretty lively for a dead person... Unless he's a zombie. o.o**_

_**I-May-Or-May-Not-Be-Insane: I apologize for making you cry! ;A; *hands you tissues***_

_**Asome: I had Tadashi shoot him. Muahaha.**_

_**CreativeWriter3: Thank you so much! I'm so glad I managed to touch your heart... *dabs at eyes with handkerchief* ;u;  
**_

_**Anonymous: *whispers* The feels are NEVER over! Muahaha.**_

_**That's a trait authors tend to share. We torture our own characters mercilessly, then cry when other people do it. .o I know I do. You're not alone!**_

_**Anonymous2: Well, unless Hiro's a zombie, he's very much alive. No worries!**_

_**Fire Spitter: I don't think he WAS thinking. I shall explain more in the next chapter!**_

_**...Yeah... I'm not good at major character deaths.**_

_**Okay, okay, keep your tail on. *posts new chapter***_

_**Th3Ph4nt0miz3r: Don't worry, I won't!**_

_**Banana Gun: Thank you so much! Nah, he's not dead. He was just MOSTLY dead. Huge difference.**_

_**sarafine-ecleips: Thank you! ;u;**_

_**ToscaThorCat: Yeah, almost everyone did. I'm not very good at red herrings. xD Yeah, I like to do that as well.**_

_**Everyone else: Thank you guys for just being my amazing readers! I couldn't have made it this far without your support! Please review, and let me know how I did!]**_


	16. Never Meant for You to Fix Yourself

_**[Hello, everyone! It's been what, four days since the last update? Scandalous! Then again, this chapter in particular is a little over 8,000 words, so it took me a little while to write. The reviews are, as before, at the bottom of the page, mainly due to the fact that I didn't want to take away from the beginning of the story.  
**_

_**Now, I didn't provide much insight as to what happened to Tadashi after shooting Hiro, did I? I seek to clarify just what happened there, thus, this entire chapter is from Tadashi's point of view. I hope you enjoy!]**_

* * *

_**CRACK.**_

In the confusion, the gun went off. There was a sharp scream of pain, and a spray of blood.

When Tadashi hit the ground, he felt the breath go out of him in an instant, and, gasping for breath, forced himself to sit up, frantically searching for the source of the dark stream of red gathering on the floor.

He couldn't suppress a cry of horror and fear as he saw the limp figure of his little brother lying on the ground, a bullet buried in his flesh.

The sight of his brother, his best friend, his _otouto_ lying on the ground, unconscious and broken, hit Tadashi as if it had been him the bullet had hit. He almost doubled over in pain, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps as he moved quickly to his brother's side.

_I did this._

_He tried to stop me. He tried to warn me._

_**Those who fail to learn from history...**_

Both Tadashi's thoughts and voice were barely able to keep themselves from screaming Hiro's name until they gave out, opting instead to kneel by the injured teenager in silence, frantically searching for something, anything that could help.

"We need to get him to the hospital."

The masked figure looked up, startled, as his former professor knelt down by Hiro's unconscious figure. Callaghan leaned over, pressing his fingertips to the side of Hiro's neck, checking for a pulse and letting out a breath of relief when he found it. "From the placement of the wound, I don't think it hit anything vital, but if he isn't taken for immediate medical treatment, he might not make it. He'll probably have a concussion as well," he noted, gesturing to where Hiro's head had hit the bed.

"I..." Tadashi blinked in confusion. "Why are you helping me? I tried to kill you."

"And I, you. You were just repaying the favor."

"That doesn't sound like very solid reasoning."

Callaghan sighed. "Whatever feud we may have, your brother gave me back my life when he brought my daughter out of that portal. I have no love for either of you, but I am the reason any of this happened in the first place, making me at least indirectly responsible for his injury. Therefore, I am helping. Does that clear things up?"

"...I suppose," Tadashi said grudgingly.

"What are you waiting for?!" Callaghan's voice suddenly became sharp, flinty. "Help him!"

Snapping to attention, the elder Hamada leaned over, carefully sliding his arms under Hiro's unconscious form—for the third time that week—which caused a vague sense of deja vu. Tadashi winced, heart aching as Hiro let out a soft cry of pain, squeezing his eyes shut, in pain despite his lack of consciousness.

"Take care of your brother."

"...I will, sir."

* * *

_I'm smiling at Hiro, and for the first time in a long time, I'm content. What with protecting my little brother from other kids, high school was no walk in the park. After that, it was less other kids than himself—whether it be doing extremely stupid and dangerous things just to get some kind of thrill, or simply refusing to socialize at all(which couldn't be healthy). It was all I could do to appear calm and collected at times. _

_And finally, watching Hiro work himself to exhaustion, sometimes falling asleep standing up—something I hadn't thought actually possible. Several times I remember I had to carry him to bed, because he was simply incapable of walking up himself. _

_It's harder being the older sibling sometimes, but it's worth it in the end to see this... this unrestrained affection that I know we have for each other. It doesn't show very often, just a quick hug or an unexplained act of kindness, but when it does, it makes all the difference. It's the little things, you know?_

_But I know now that I don't have to protect him anymore. He's growing up, and soon enough my little brother won't be so little anymore. Well, metaphorically, that is. I have a feeling he's going to be about 5'6" or 5'8" at most when he stops growing. _

_He's in college now... I hadn't actually thought he'd fall for it when I took him to SFIT, but the look on his face when we were leaving convinced me that he had taken it, hook, line, and sinker. One thing I've always been certain of is that my little brother is, if nothing else, determined. Well, he would say so, at least. I'd use the word 'stubborn', or 'hardheaded'. _

_And now, after months of working and sleepless nights, he's made it. __**We've**__ made it._

_My father told me a while back that, as the older brother, it would be my responsibility to look after Hiro, and after my parent's deaths, even more so. I remember when he first came home from the hospital—My mother actually trusted me enough to hold this small bundle of what looked like an angry tomato with hair, and I couldn't believe that I was finally a brother._

_My father smiled at me as I held Hiro for the first time._

"_You look after your brother."_

_I smiled back at my father, full to the brim with excitement. "I will, sir."_

* * *

Tadashi's boots sparked to life as he stepped out of the cell, propelling him down the hallway. Several times he had to slow down to avoid running over security guards, and he finally reached the stairs.

_I wonder if the police have showed up yet. Maybe they can get Hiro to the hospital faster than I can._

Practically flying down the stairs, he didn't bump into the police, but a large red wall—or what looked like one.

"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. Hello, Hiro. Hello, Tadashi."

Almost weeping with relief, Tadashi powered down his boots. "Baymax. Thank God."

"Baymax, what's going on up there?!"

The elder Hamada froze as Honey Lemon struggled to move Baymax just enough to see what was going on in front of him. "Ta-Tadashi?"

For a moment, the masked figure looked as if he were about to answer, then stopped and turned to the nursebot. "Baymax, how quickly can you get to the hospital?"

"I can reach a hospital in roughly five minutes with my thrusters at maximum thrust."

"Why do you need to-?"

"Tadashi, my scanners indicate that Hiro is suffering from severe blood loss. I would suggest immediate medical attention." Baymax's monotonous voice cut through the still air like a knife, silencing the voices of the guys in the background.

"I know, Baymax. Do you think you could transport Hiro to the nearest hospital?"

"Affirmative." In response, Baymax took several steps back, squeezing out of the stairway, and into a significantly larger room. Quickly following suit, Tadashi strode in after him, clutching Hiro's bleeding form to his chest.

As he did so, a sudden gasp from the team—or rather, what was left of it—caused him to wince.

"Hiro! What-"

"We need to get him to a hospital." Tadashi's voice was short, clipped, and obviously didn't warrant any conversation. As they fell silent, Baymax raised one hand towards the door.

_**BOOM.**_

There was a shriek from either Honey Lemon or Wasabi(Tadashi couldn't tell which) as Baymax's fist rocketed through the entrance, blasting an enormous hole in the front of the building. The healthcare companion seemed almost pleased as he stepped through the hole with ease.

"This entrance is more convenient than the previous one."

"No kidding, big buddy," Wasabi mumbled, walking out after Tadashi and the team. He was barely able to keep from gasping in horror at the trail of blood on the floor, the trail that he knew belonged to one of his friends, and forced himself to ignore it as he helped the team onto Baymax's back.

"Do you think you'll be okay up there, Tadashi?" Fred sounded concerned, as if the man who they knew had murdered two people in cold blood and completely destroyed the team in battle wouldn't be able to hang onto the back of what was, in essence, a flying handhold.

"Yes," the masked man said shortly, settling in a more comfortable position as Baymax fired up his thrusters. "I think I'll manage."

"Just making sure, dude." Fred fell silent as the robot took off, and winced as a small drop of blood hit his hand.

It took even less time than Baymax said it was, and the second he hit the ground, Tadashi practically leaped off of his back, carrying his injured brother into the emergency room, watching as he was taken away by several nurses. He didn't realize that the rest of the team was standing beside him until Honey Lemon spoke up from by his side.

"He's going to be okay."

"No, he's not," Tadashi murmured, closing his eyes as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.

"From what Baymax has said, while he's lost a lot of blood, it's not enough to cause any permanent damage, so long as the doctors know what they're doing."

"I know that, Honey," the masked man replied, not able to look down at his front, for fear of the red staining the gold armor. "But that wasn't what I was talking about."

Wasabi looked at the bloodstained figure, then gestured outside. After a moment of thought, Tadashi sighed and followed his friend—if he still considered himself Tadashi's friend after everything—outside. He sat down on a bench beside a potted plant, and looked up at the green-blue clad college student.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

Wasabi sighed, sitting down next to him. "What exactly happened, Tadashi?"

"You're going to have to be more specific. What happened when?" he might have seemed amused, were it not for the blood still fresh on his cloak, on his armor.

Wasabi's mind suddenly burned with questions. "I don't know. After the fire? How did you survive? Where have you been all this time? How did you lose your leg? Why didn't you come back? How did Hiro get hurt, and what-?"

Tadashi held up a hand, cutting off the stream of questions. "I'm sorry, I can only answer one at a time, otherwise..." He let out a long breath, not wishing to share about his panic attacks.

"Okay. Who shot Hiro?"

The former college student was silent for a few moments, then Wasabi noticed the moisture gathering at the edge of the gray mask. "Tadashi?"

"I did."

"You what?"

"I shot Hiro."

* * *

_The alarms are going off, and the black sky sharply contrasted the light from the showcase building. It might have been beautiful, with the stars twinkling in the background, if the light hadn't been coming from an enormous fire._

_I'm shocked for a few seconds, unable to move, when I see a woman coming out of the building. She's coughing, barely able to walk, and in that moment I know that if I can't do anything else, I have to help her out._

"_Are you okay? Is everyone out?"_

"_I..." She seems at a loss for words for a few seconds, then stammers: "I'm fine... but Professor Callaghan is still in there!"_

_I let her go as she regains her strength, stumbling away from the building. I know I should be getting away from the fire, I should be making sure that the people that are already out get medical help. Most importantly, I can see my little brother staring at me, waiting for me to come back with him, but something stops me._

_I was never especially close to Professor Callaghan. Sure, he was my favorite professor. I helped him out more than the other students did. I'd like to say we were friends, but to be honest, it wasn't as if he was a father figure or anything._

_But as I look at the ash floating down from the building, something ignites inside of me—a steely resolve to fix this. The firefighters won't be here in time. Someone has to do something._

"_Tadashi, no!"_

_I stop, turning to look into Hiro's frightened expression. For a second, I consider stopping, moving away from the building. But something tugs at me, and I force myself to pull my sleeve out of his grasp._

"_Someone has to help."_

_I can't bear to look at him anymore—if I do, I'll feel too guilty and lose any courage that I have mustered up, the look of betrayal etched into every line on his face. I turn, and without saying anything else, run to the doors, the flames reaching for me on all sides._

_**Don't worry, Hiro. I won't be gone for long. I'll be back before you know it—I made a promise, remember? I'll always protect you.**_

* * *

"What do you mean, _you_ shot him?"

"I... I was aiming for Callaghan, and he tried to pull my hand away... my hand was already on the trigger."

Tadashi leaned forward, his face in his hands, forcing himself not to release the heartbroken sobs that he knew would end up coming sooner or later... but not now, not in front of Wasabi... or anyone. He filed away the pain for later(something that he had grown quite skilled at since the accident), and took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to fire. I..."

"You were going to kill Callaghan." Wasabi sounded eerily calm. The elder Hamada knew from experience that when this happened, it was hiding a storm of enormous proportions, and that he was probably about to start freaking out.

"Yes."

"I can tell why, but... I thought you were better than this, Tadashi."

Tadashi didn't speak for a moment, then sat up and looked Wasabi in the eye, his red eyepieces glinting in the harsh sunlight. "You were wrong."

Before he even knew what he was doing, Tadashi stood up, stretching his cramped muscles, and fired up the thrusters in his boots. It took a second or two for them to fire up, and when they did, he jetted away from the hospital, away from the questions.

Had he looked back, he might have seen Wasabi looking after him with sadness, or Honey Lemon running outside to deliver some news, or perhaps he might have turned back to remain with his brother.

But he didn't.

* * *

After returning to what was as reminiscent of a home as he had had since the fire, Tadashi had immediately ripped off his armor, and stood clad in just the leather suit that lay underneath it. He had laid down on his bed, unable to move, to think, to _breathe. _

After doing the unthinkable, he had thought that perhaps he would cry as soon as he was alone. Perhaps he'd punch the walls until his knuckles bled. But instead, he was silent, still, completely numb. Completely devoid of all emotion.

_Hiro might be dead right now._

_It's unlikely, after all, Baymax said that it probably wasn't enough blood to cause any permanent damage, but... _

_I did this._

_I let my anger poison me... and now Hiro may have paid the price._

A drop of warm saltwater trickled down Tadashi's cheek onto the dingy sheets, then the dam broke, letting the floodwaters out.

The tears that had been pushed back and filed away finally shoved their way to the front, demanding to be released, and Tadashi no longer had the strength to deny them further, his throat making small choking sounds as he sniffled, eyes—well, _eye—_beginning to grow red.

_I promised him I'd protect him._

_I always said that I would never shut him out... I said he could come to me..._

_I lied._

_I'm so sorry, Otouto._

_I never meant for you to fix yourself._

Tadashi's chest began to heave as he fought for breath, the attack coming on hard and strong, forcing him onto his back. For once, rather than trying to calm himself, the elder Hamada let the panic take over, overwhelming him until he was curled up on the floor—having fallen off the bed.

It wasn't until several hours had passed that he was abe to finally stand up, and even then, he was so dizzy, his head aching, that he had to sit down on his bed.

Tadashi put his hand on his forehead, wincing at how hot he was, and laid back on the bed again, clutching the single pillow as if it were a lifeline.

_I'm no use to anyone if I can't even move. I need to rest—I haven't slept in days._

He hated to admit it, but Tadashi knew that he was exhausted, and it took only moments for him to slip into a fitful sleep.

* * *

_The first thing I remembered was confusion. Conflicting waves of heat and cold as a breeze blew in from outside the second I hit the roaring fire. _

"_Professor Callaghan!"_

_I paused, barely able to take in the scene, but the little I saw was enough. The wooden beams from the ceiling were falling, crashing into the floor with a loud crash. Plastic tables with burning inventions were melting, folding under the pressure and becoming pools of sludge. I backed away from one in particular, and felt something hit my leg—and I screamed. The sharp, horrible pain of hot metal scorching my flesh was too much to bear, and I immediately jerked myself away, but only after my pant leg caught on fire._

_I was frantically trying to put it out, only resulting in burning my hands, and as I did so, I heard a quiet beeping from the stage area._

"_P-Professor...?" I was coughing, black smoke obscuring my view as I sank to my knees. My leg was buckling under me, and I suddenly couldn't breathe, my chest tightening._

_The beeping grew more frantic, and then I suddenly remembered where I had heard that sound before._

_I was struggling to my feet, screaming for help when a wave of black rushed over me, instants before the explosion hit._

_The microbots were enough to save me from the brunt of the explosion, absorbing most of the shock but the outermost ones were melting, fusing together. They were a thick black wall of metal, scorching hot. As the fire raged on outside my not-so-safe haven, the pain finally overwhelmed me, and I gave in to unconsciousness, oblivious to the flames spreading from my leg up._

* * *

When Tadashi woke up, he was startled. The screams had come out of nowhere, jolting him from his already shallow sleep, when he realized that the horrible voice was his own.

Tadashi forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths and holding the pillow closer, shutting away the nightmares. They had faded a while ago, after he had given up on ever healing from the burns, only returning after a large amount of stress. What...?

_No._

_Please, God, no._

_Hiro._

The elder Hamada felt the tears begin to come again, and forced himself to keep them inside. Even so, water dripped onto his face—cold water, barely catching his chin and sliding onto his pillow. Confused, Tadashi sat up, eying the ceiling, and remembered that there had always been a drip there he'd forgotten to patch up. Having found this place uninhabited a little while back, he had never gotten around to renovating, but anything was better than a lean-to made out of two-by-fours.

Struggling to stand up, Tadashi glanced down and almost broke down at the sight of his cyberprosthetic leg—stained with blood.

_Hiro's blood._

_Don't think about it._

_You can't think about it, not now._

He shook his head as if to clear it, and walked to the bathroom in order to grab a wet towel to clean it off, and froze at the sight of his hands.

They were dark red-brown, stained with the same dried blood that was covering his leg.

_I quite literally have your brother's blood on my hands._

Quickly turning on the faucet, Tadashi sigh with relief as the water ran over his hands, washing away the majority of the red, although it did leave a stain that he was fairly certain would take a lot of scrubbing to get out... which would take time. Time that he didn't have.

_Or do I?_

_What am I supposed to do now?_

Tadashi glanced down at the cyberprosthetic, and sighed as he grabbed a towel, rinsing it off and moving back to his bed to wipe it off.

After several seconds, he was finally finished, and leaned back, listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the dirty windows. The occasional crack of thunder would hit his ears, and he'd wince, until finally he couldn't stand it anymore.

_I can't keep holding it in._

_I'm never going to be able to wipe this out, am I? I was a freak before, but now..._

_I never thought that I'd be a murderer as well. What happened to me?_

_What have I done?_

_Oh God, Hiro, what have I done to you?_

Tadashi sat up again, head in his hands, letting the water from that ever-present crack in the ceiling mingle with the tears streaking down his face.

_You could be dead right now because of me, and I wouldn't even know. I'm a terrible older brother._

_I'm sorry, otouto._

The former college student felt something rise up in his chest—not panic, not anxiety. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he knew what he needed to do to get it out.

Tadashi attempted to stand up, but fell to his knees anyways, the heavy sobs racking his body, and he screamed Hiro's name to the ceiling.

* * *

_The first thing I remembered was darkness. The scorching metal was finally cool, and I was slowly slipping back into consciousness. Some parts of my body were screaming for relief, while others were eerily numb—I was fairly certain that my leg had been on fire before I passed out, why wasn't it hurting anymore?_

_I forced my eyes to slide open, and was met with the same darkness—that of the black microbots, welded together so that I couldn't see outside of them, except for a large opening in the side nearest my face. It was almost an oblong shape—almost completely shielding my body from whatever it was outside. I was confused—what had happened? _

_Then the metal container was jostled somewhat, and the pain jolted my memory back._

_The fire._

_The microbots._

_Professor Callaghan. Did he...?_

_I felt my... what? Armor? I wasn't sure. I felt it hit something solid, and I let out a soft whimper of pain, feeling my scarred left side touch an uneven part of the metal._

_The container finally came to rest, and I winced as the sound of ripping metal hit my ears, and I closed my eyes as burning light hit them. I almost wept with relief as a cool breeze touched my charred skin and muscle, and let out a low moan, shifting slightly._

"_Tadashi? Are you awake?"_

_I almost open my eyes again... I know that voice too well. I have heard it enough times in classes, but I can barely even move, much less reply. _

"_You're going to be okay, Tadashi. I'm taking you to a hospital, got it?"_

But... How did you survive? _I'm desperate for answers, but I'm cold and burning up, in pain and numb at the same time, thus in no shape to even say anything other than one word._

"_Hiro?"_

_There's a silence, then I hear Callaghan reply. "Your brother's fine. He didn't come in after you." I feel a hand on my right shoulder in what's obviously meant to be a comforting gesture. But I can't help but feel a dull aching inside anyways, because I can't ask the questions that are really on my mind._

Does Hiro know that I'm like this?

When will I be able to see him again?

Will I even WANT to see him again—or rather, do I want him to see ME again?

**Where is he?**

_**Where's my little brother?**_

* * *

It took a while, but Tadashi finally stopped screaming as the pressure lifted from his chest. His throat felt raw, his lungs burning from lack of oxygen. Forcing himself to breathe deeply, Tadashi leaned back against the side of his bed, hand scrabbling for something—anything-to hold on to.

It found something, a handful of soft fabric. Softer than his bedsheets, softer than even the cloak that he had chosen specifically for the texture—so that it wouldn't aggravate his burns when it touched them.

Confused, he pulled it closer, into his line of vision and felt his heart almost stop.

_How did this get here?_

Tadashi felt his hand clench around the soft blue fabric of his little brother's jacket, and ran his fingers over the almost invisible seam where he had sewn in the tracker. It had been touched—just barely, but it was obvious that it had been messed with.

_Of course. After all, I did tell Aunt Cass that I had a tracker on Hiro somewhere... And she doubtless would have told him. The team's actually pretty smart, they'd have figured it out pretty quickly._

_He must be missing it._

For the first time in several days, Tadashi allowed himself a slight chuckle—Hiro and his jacket were practically inseparable, for more reasons than one. He had a suspicion of what the primary reason was, but as he turned the garment over in his hands, he realized just how ridiculously soft it was, even after years of use.

Because, of course, while Hiro had shot up a staggering 4 inches in the past three years, he hadn't put on a ton of weight—which was shocking, considering the amount of money he spent on gummy bears every week.

The end result: Fifteen year old Hiro still managed to fit into the same clothing that he had gotten at age twelve, something most fifteen-year olds wouldn't be able to brag about. And probably wouldn't _want_ to brag about, either.

But what was the jacket doing here?

Tadashi was silent as he stroked the material of the coat, then got to his feet, stretching.

_I should probably take it to him. He won't even know I'm there, if I'm quiet enough. And if he does, I can just make a run for it. No big deal._

Tadashi didn't know when the attack began to rise up in him. Perhaps when he reached the hospitial parking lot. Whatever the time, he knew what was triggering it, and fought the urge to turn and run.

_It'll be simple. Run in, drop off the jacket, make sure Hiro's alright, leave. No problems there._

However, he found himself hovering just outside the door, unwilling to go in, scared of the possibilities of what he might find, of the white, sterile environment that came with hospitals. Or maybe it was just the fact that he had spent more than a month alone, half-dead, lying in a hospital room.

* * *

_When I returned to the nightmarish land called reality, I could hear several machines beeping. I was lying not on cool metal but a soft bed, but without the bedsheets that I expected to be draped over me. I felt my eye crack open, and wearily looked around the room. I wasn't able to turn my head very far without wanting to scream in pain, but I managed to take in enough—the white ceiling, the clean, plain walls, the several machines hooked up to me. _

_So Callaghan had, in fact, managed to get me to the hospital. It was nice to know that he had followed through. _

_I lay in silence for several minutes, trying to feel aware of everything despite the painkillers that were doubtless being pumped into me. I snapped to attention as the door opened, admitting a nurse, and opened my eye again, looking in her direction. She was mumbling under her breath, carrying a clipboard, when she caught a glimpse of me staring at her._

"_Oh! You're awake."_

_I felt the need to answer sarcastically, but found myself incapable of speech as she came to stand beside me. "Hey there. You wouldn't happen to remember anything, would you?"_

_I wondered whether I would have the energy to answer, but finally forced myself to nod slowly, wincing as I did so. She immediately took note of the pain I was in, and quickly apologized._

"_I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me that that might cause you pain—Hold on, let me go get one of the doctors."_

"_Wait."_

_I was surprised that I was able to speak at all—my throat was on fire, and I felt like I would murder someone for a drink of water. But I forced the word out, and winced at the low, raspy note of my voice. The air that escaped my throat was surprisingly cold, but I ignored it for the time being. _

_The nurse froze as she heard me, and turned to respond. "You can speak?"_

"_...Only... a little." I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back a soft cry of pain, then opened them again to the nurse's mouth forming a surprised _o_._

"_That's incredible. You had a hole in your esophagus—you shouldn't be able to speak at all."_

_I blinked in surprise, forcing back a gasp. "What... What happened?"_

"_You were brought in by a medical team—someone found you on the side of the road, completely unconscious and lying on a piece of metal. You've been in a fire—that much we can tell—but other than that, we have no idea what happened."_

"_Am... I going to be okay?"_

_The nurse didn't speak for a moment, then gave me a sad smile—which scared me more than if she had simply said no. "We're not sure. It depends on your definition of okay."_

"_What...?"_

_Seeing how much pain speaking was causing her patient, the nurse interrupted, anticipating the question before it arrived. "You've received multiple burns—some more severe than others. The burns are covering a good portion of your face and scalp, which has resulted in loss of sight in one eye. They also cover a good portion of your neck—which is what caused the esophageal perforation. You don't have a hole there anymore, but you shouldn't be able to speak... which is why the fact that you are is confusing," she added thoughtfully, staring off into space._

_I felt my blood turn to ice, noting the way she was avoiding my eyes—well, eye. "There's... something else... isn't there...?"_

_The nurse didn't respond for several seconds, then sighed, nodding. "Your entire left leg was covered in third degree burns—they actually caused a good amount of damage to the bone itself." She finally looked up, meeting my eyes. "I'm so sorry. There was no other way—you would have died if they hadn't done it."_

_I opened my mouth to ask, but the nurse finished for me. "They had to amputate. I'm sorry."_

* * *

Tadashi felt his throat close up a little as he forced himself to walk through the door. Before he had left, he'd changed clothes(most hospital staff generally didn't trust a man wearing a mask to visit a gunshot wound victim). He was now wearing a pair of long jeans over his cybernetic leg, and a turtleneck to cover the scars encircling his neck and throat. There wasn't much he could do for his face though, so he just wore a cap and hoped no one would ask questions.

Almost shaking, Tadashi stepped into an elevator, letting it take him to the third floor, and stepped into the waiting room. Trying to appear confident, he stepped up to the receptionist's desk and asked for his little brother's room.

She glanced up for a moment, then did a double take, her eyes locked on his face, then forced her eyes to look elsewhere. Tadashi felt a sense of deja vu—probably because of the fact that he'd spent too much time dodging concerns about his health. After a little bit of paperwork, Tadashi was given the room number, and he walked down the hallway, giving the woman a quick thanks and clutching the jacket.

_10642... 10642... Come on, please don't let him be awake._

The attack that had been nudging him into a state of panic rose a little as he neared the room,and he briefly wondered whether it would be worth it.

Finally, he reached the room, and it was too late to turn back. Slowly, he stepped forward, reaching for the doorknob.

"_You're going to put him in jail?_ You're going to give the disfigured, crippled, mentally unstable person who used to be your best friend _a single chance to redeem himself, and if it doesn't work out, you're going to put him in jail?_"

Tadashi froze as his fingertips brushed the metal, eyes unfocusing as his otouto's voice hit his ears.

_They... what?_

"Of course not." The elder Hamada could almost imagine the school mascot's eyes hardening with fury—something that had only happened once in his memory, and for a good cause. Fred was not a man that you wanted to make an enemy of, and making him mad was an almost suicidal endeavor.

"Tadashi was my best friend. I have more faith in him than that." He felt his heart sink as he listened to one of his best friends express this, and almost stepped away just then.

_You shouldn't. I don't even have that much faith in myself._

"I know that's what the rest of the team wants, and they have the entire city in mind when they say that, but I'm more loyal to my friends." Fred seemed to take a moment to compose himself, then plowed on. "If it comes to it, I'll help him make an escape before that happens... Not that he'll need it. He's going to need time to rehabilitate, and I think you should be with him for that."

_The team's on my trail, then. It's not surprising, but I'd thought that it would take a little longer for them to come to that decision. _

"So, what are you suggesting?"

Tadashi moved a little closer to the door, pressing his ear to the wood, could almost see Fred's smirk, the conspiratory twinkle in his eye, and felt his chest tighten. "The team intends to leave as soon as you're completely well, but that could take more than a little while. I'm suggesting we break you out before they're prepared, then take off on Tadashi's trail."

_Don't you dare._

_Fredrick Lee, if you even think about it-_

_They're going to come after me._

Tadashi didn't even wait to hear the rest of the conversation. Jacket clenched in his hand, mission forgotten, he turned and bolted down the hallway.

_I can't-_

_I can't let them do this for me. They can't find me._

_I've hurt Hiro enough._

Tadashi was beginning to gasp for breath as he reached the waiting room. He took a couple seconds to compose himself, then walked through, as if nothing had happened, reaching the elevator and leaving the hospital as quickly as he could.

* * *

_It was long, and hard, and difficult, but I had finally done it. After two months of lying completely still in bed, I was able to sit up on my own. For some, this might have been an amazing accomplishment._

_But it wasn't._

_With sitting up, I had been able to look at myself in a mirror, a proper mirror, for the first time. I swear, I almost screamed._

_The sheer amount of scar tissue, the angry red and purple mottled burns marring the side of my face was overwhelming. I was beyond recognition, beyond help._

_Beyond healing._

_I'm not sure if that was when I decided that I wouldn't tell them my name. I hadn't been able to beforehand—that first conversation with the nurse was very, very difficult on my throat, so much so that I decided then and there to say nothing more. I wanted several times to tell them that I had a family, that I had a life. But it never seemed right. _

_After looking at myself, I wasn't even sure if that was correct, anyways._

_I was a freak._

_Who would want to take in a monster like this? Family or not, I was only a cripple now. I could barely move, hardly speak, and I certainly wouldn't be able to walk anytime soon. Or, of course, ever._

_How could I continue with my life like this?_

_At least I could watch the television now, being able to sit up and look at the screen. It was two or three days past the incident with the mirror, and I was scrolling channels. Then, I saw a face._

"_Professor..."_

_I sat up a little straighter, eyes wide. _

_And I saw everything._

_The fire that had torn away my being. The loss of my leg, my broken voice, all of it, was to get to my little brother's invention._

_For a petty revenge plot._

_I watched as the media praised the actions of a team that had taken down the psychopath previously known as Yokai, now known as Professor Callaghan._

_At first, I had thought that perhaps my memory of Callaghan taking me to a hospital was pure hallucination, as I had found out later that he'd died in the fire. I made up a few little explanations as to how I had gotten onto the side of that road(none of them plausible). But I had no doubt in my mind that the fire was an accident._

_Until now._

_And suddenly, that horrible aching I had inside was so much worse. I was a setback, that's all. I got in the way._

"_What I am now... It was all a mistake."_

"_It was all Callaghan's mistake."_

* * *

Tadashi didn't know where he was going. Anywhere except the hospital. His single leg began to ache as he ran-the other laughed in it's face, superior in its makeup as it was, and he finally came to a stop by the docks, gasping for breath. He almost doubled over, his hands on his knees, chest heaving, until he began to regain his breath.

_Note to self: Sprinting all the way from the hospital to the ocean is not a good idea. You're going to give yourself a heart attack._

The former college student felt his legs give way underneath him, and he knelt by the docks, almost completely numb.

"What now?"

_Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity._

"Well, I kind of abandoned any pretense of sanity when I shot my brother."

_Good point. You can't stay here. He knows where the warehouse is, you'll have to move._

"True. I could live under a bridge or something." Tadashi allowed himself a soft chuckle, then wearily turned his mind to the future once more. "Or I could just get myself a normal apartment."

_You forget that Baymax can find you with his scanners. He's seen you several times._

"So, then what do I do? Sabotage his scanner?"

_Of course not. It's too risky._

Tadashi felt sick as he realized what he had to do.

"San Fransokyo has been my home for... has it been twenty years now? Twenty-one?"

_Twenty-one. _

"I can't just... _leave._"

_You have to, though. It's the only way. _

"What about...?" Tadashi winced as his conscious thought replied to the words he spoke aloud.

_Hiro's better off without you. You said so yourself, remember? He's going to come looking for you-heck, Fred even has a plan to break him out of the hospital. We've hurt him once. We can't let him get close enough for it to happen again._

Tadashi sat in silence for several minutes, mulling over the idea in his head, then sighed, nodding.

"Okay. I'll leave."

* * *

_I don't know when I decided that it was time. I had designed a cybernetic prosthetic leg in my spare time, and after showing it to the doctors, one had agreed to try it out. They helped me perfect it for months, and finally it was finished, so much so that I could walk normally.  
_

_It had been seven months since the accident-Well, the fire, at least. After seven months of recovering, I was finally well enough to walk, even without my leg. _

_But it wasn't enough. It had been seven months, and I was still barely recognizable. A fine layer of downy hair was beginning to come through despite my burns, yet it was a blond, almost white color. According to one of the doctors, this tended to happen after burns, and while I could dye it once my skin was healed, the damage was to the hair follicle itself, and so it would probably remain that way for a while. _

_I looked vaguely similar to a punk rock star. That is, a punk rock star that had set himself on fire, then put a burning noose around his throat._

_But I knew that the doctors wouldn't let me out-not without someone to take care of me. I needed to leave, to fix this, but I knew they wouldn't let me._

_So I planned._

_I planned escape routes, and ways to muffle the sound of my clanking leg. I planned murders and red herrings, false trails and masks._

_And when I finally left the hospital, I found myself almost giddy with joy. Perhaps I wouldn't be able to return. Perhaps I had had my life taken from me._

_But I was about to repay the favor._

_When I found the warehouse, I spent my time perfecting rocket boots-with stolen thrusters, of course-and painstakingly creating a disguise for myself. _

_And when I looked into the mirror, one night before going after Yama, I managed to smile at myself.  
_

I'm a freak.

I'm broken.

But I'm strong.

The flames made me who I am, and my burns define me.

_I remembered the scalding hot metal, scorching my skin, and I smiled._

Scorch, huh? Sounds catchy... might make a nice alias. The Japanese word for Scorch is Sukochi, right?

I guess that settles it. I'm the Sukochi now.

**Tadashi is gone.**

* * *

Tadashi wasn't entirely sure why, but he had elected to keep Hiro's jacket with him. Perhaps as a keepsake-he didn't have anything to carry with him, anyhow.

He had spent the remainder of the day wandering the streets of San Fransokyo, taking in the places that he'd probably never see again. He passed the supermarket where he'd worked as a teenager, the park where he and Hiro had played at as children. Tadashi even steeled himself enough to briefly pass the Lucky Cat cafe, not allowing himself more than five minutes to look at his old home from a distance.

It had been three days since the incident at the prison, and he knew that the team was _en garde,_ ready to take action at any time if he showed his face.

It was not as if he blamed them, of course. He knew that he'd lost any pretense of having their trust, and didn't mind. He wasn't going to be speaking to them any time soon, anyways.

The sun began to go down, and Tadashi's breath hitched in his throat.

_I guess it's time._

Taking a deep breath, Tadashi pulled his coat's sleeve up, pressing a button on his watch-which was stolen as well, and the boots sparked to life. He sped down the streets, allowing a small smile to cross his face as the wind cooled his skin, and almost skidded to a stop as he reached the city limits.

He looked up, tilting his head slightly, taking in the sign.

_You are leaving San Fransokyo._

"Well, that's just fine with me."

He cut a strange figure-a man who had just skidded to a stop on rocket boots, black hair sticking out from under one side of a San Fransokyo Ninjas hat(not the original one-he had lost it somehow in the fire), a black turtleneck in the middle of spring, clutching a small blue jacket. Tears streaking down his face.

Fortunately there weren't many people nearby to find it odd. A moment later, the figure was gone, leaving behind nothing but smoke.

_"Goodbye, Hiro."_

* * *

**_[Well. That was slightly depressing. Even for me._**

**_Okay, so reviews. Here you go~!_**

**_Buttons and Horseshoes: The title? Of-oh. I intend on making a lot of the future chapter titles song lyrics, so if you recognize any, that would be why. This one in particular(and the one before it) were from 'Centuries' by Fall Out Boy._**

**_I'm glad that it felt real-I have woken up in the hospital before, and I remember my first thought was something along the lines of "Well, crap. Am I dead? Seriously?" So I wrote from experience. xD Thanks again~!_**

**_sarafine-ecleips: You can't really blame them, though. After all, he DID just kill two people-and almost a third, the third being the little brother that he swore to protect. You'd think that maybe they'd be a little less prone to action, but seeing as they have the idea that Tadashi is off his rocker, you can see why they'd be a little more eager to take him down._**

**_Banana Gun: I'm afraid I can't say. That would be spoiling the end of the story, now wouldn't it? xD_**

**_But yes, I agree. I have a theory that if Hiro were the one who had been in the fire, Tadashi would have completely lost it. It's been going around that Hiro can barely survive without his brother, but when it comes down to it, I think Tadashi needs his otouto more than he implies. He wouldn't be able to function. Even if he'd had the mental ability to go out and find the Yokai, I think he would have killed him on the spot without a second thought, whether he knew he was Callaghan or not._**

**_Nausicaa of the Spirits: Oh my carrots. That's extremely depressing. WHY WOULD YOU SHARE THAT WITH ME. *sobs* *goes and finds chocolate* STRESS EATING. BECAUSE OF YOU._**

**_Just kidding, but in all seriousness, that was extremely sad._**

**_graystar19: Yeah, I agree, I could have gone much farther into Hiro's gunshot wound, but I wanted to get the update up as soon as possible. I might end up rewriting that chapter as soon as the story's over._**

**_Thank you so much!_**

**_Anonymous: *is hugged* *squirms uncomfortably* I do not like physical contact! *hides behind a broom*_**

**_Hm. Maybe I should consider making him a zombie. Plot twist #3: Hiro is a zombie. Perfect!_**

**_Kathryn51703: ^-^  
_**

**_Fire Spitter: Yeah, it wasn't my best chapter. I hope I made up for it with this one! _**

**_Lady Cougar-Trombone: Yeah, I usually end up on the verge of tears when I read a good 'Hiro's Dead' fic. They're extremely depressing. I like angst, but I don't like too much, you know?_**

**_I'm hoping it will go well(writing-wise, that is). I had an outline, but I didn't actually plan on a lot of this stuff. I'm just along for the ride. xD_**

**_Tony18: Wouldn't that be a little awkward. "Ed Sheeran is reviewing my work. O.O Oh crap."_**

**_Exactly. Fred may be over-reacting just a little, but I intend to delve into that in the next chapter(or the chapter right after that). There IS a reason, though. Stay tuned!_**

**_HorseTechie: Exactly. If I see an opening for a reference joke, I can and will make it. See if you can find all of them(there are probably several in each chapter. There are a few inside jokes on my part as well, so it's especially funny to me when I read those lines). _**

**_Ezio's that guy from Assassin's Creed. You know, with the wristy-blady-thingies? And yes, I agree. Fandoms abound in that description._**

**_Well, if the doctors are competent, they probably wouldn't let a prototype robot with access to needles into the patient's hospital room. Especially considering that he also has a fighting chip. ESPECIALLY especially considering that he has been malfunctioning recently._**

**_allietheepic7: Yeah, I am surprised no one caught onto that sooner. I just used Google Translate and was flipping through synonyms for 'burned'(although, in Korean, 'Tadashi' does actually translate to 'burn', which is why they changed his name to 'Teddy' in the Korean adaption of the movie. The more you know~!)._**

**_Guest: Really? Thank you! Personally, I think that Disney would probably do it better than I am, but yeah. ;u; Thank you so much!_**

**_Lianne Yoffa: Yeah, I was indecisive. (Not really, I planned this from the beginning. Muahaha!) Thank you, neither can I! I am eager to see whether I finish this the way I planned, or whether I do something completely different._**

**_I know. I make far too many references. By the way, congratulations on being the 100th Reviewer! Have a cookie! (:::)_**

**_Thank you guys once again for the support! You guys are absolutely the best!]_**


	17. You are Everything to Me

_**[Hello, everyone! Once again, I'm sorry for the slow updating. I find it very hard to write quieter scenes after so much action. It's just so frustrating for me, and I get the need to kill someone(which I am not going to do yet, because I have broken you guys enough for now.**_

_**From now on, unless I explicitly state otherwise, the POVs will alternate between Tadashi and the team. No more separate chapters!**_

_**The answers to your reviews are at the bottom of the page(once again), so if you're looking for answers, look down there!**_

_**Anyways, here's your chapter. I hope you're happy with yourselves. xD]**_

* * *

"Where's my jacket?"

The team had finally decided that, after a full week, they would go and see their injured friend—GoGo excluded, as she was in a wheelchair and couldn't fit in the room with the rest of them. She had opted for a one-on-one session instead two days prior, assuring him that they'd find Tadashi. Oddly enough, she decided against telling Hiro about their Plan B.

It didn't matter, as he already knew(outside of their knowledge), but it still hurt a little.

"Your... what?"

Honey Lemon tilted her head, eyebrows scrunched together. "You didn't have your jacket on when we brought you here."

"Well, I didn't leave it at my house..." Hiro's eyes suddenly widened with realization. "Oh. I must have left it at the warehouse when I was getting my armor back on."

Wasabi snapped to attention, staring at their incapacitated teammate. "What warehouse?"

Hiro was silent for several seconds, then it suddenly clicked. "Oh, right because- I was stuck at a warehouse for the past... how long had it been?"

"Two days."

"Two days, then. I had a massive headache the first day, so I had no idea how long it had been. Come to think of it," the teenager said thoughtfully, "I have a headache now. Wonder why that is."

"It's because-"

"Sarcasm, Baymax. Sarcasm."

Fred let out a soft chuckle. "Someone sounds bitter."

"I'm not bitter," Hiro replied bitterly, with a bitter expression.

"Sure, whatever you say."

Getting up from his position on the couch, Wasabi stretched, popping the joints in his neck. "Well, perhaps we should go there first."

"No, you're not."

All eyes were suddenly on Hiro's determined form, who was looked coldly at Wasabi. "You've already lost two members of your team. Baymax is malfunctioning too, probably due to that field Tadashi made around that warehouse by the docks. That makes three, and I can tell from your guys' posture that you haven't slept in... two days? Three?"

"Four, actually," Honey Lemon confirmed, earning herself a glare from her team mate.

"Wasabi, I think you need to think of the rest of your team here."

"Right now, I'm thinking of your brother," Wasabi reminded the younger Hamada. "If you don't remember, he's out there. We need to find him."

"I want to find Tadashi more than anyone," Hiro argued, eyes lighting up with irritation. "But looking for him won't do much good if you guys are dead on your feet." His voice softened somewhat, and he continued. "You guys go get some rest. I'll figure out a schematic for Baymax's new scanner, and see if he can find 'Dashi on there."

Uneasily, Wasabi glanced in Honey Lemon's direction, who nodded. "He's right. We need to sleep. We'll be back, okay Hiro?"

"Got it."

As everyone got up to leave, however, the younger Hamada slipped something into Fred's hand, unseen by the rest of the team.

* * *

_Somehow, this doesn't seem like a very friendly place._

_Of course, this is Las Edo, and it's renowned for being 'Sin City'. _

Tadashi took a deep breath as he stepped into a small building(definitely smaller than the surrounding casinos), and recoiled at the scent of badly made whiskey and cigarettes. Self consciously pulling up the collar of his turtleneck, he moved as quietly as he could to a table in the back, curiously scoping out every inch of the place.

"You got business here, boy?"

Tadashi winced at the voice almost as raspy as his own hitting his ears. Briefly considering taking off his hat and showing off the scars, he paused before answering in a low voice. "Do I have to have business in order to sit somewhere?"

"You could be here to cause trouble," the voice growled, and suddenly it all made sense. This man must be the owner, and as most of him was covered up, the elder Hamada made for a suspicious figure.

"I could just want a drink."

"You look a little young for that."

Tadashi chuckled darkly, finally looking up at the surly man, moving his cap slightly to reveal his face. "Do I?"

Surprisingly enough, the man only raised an eyebrow before rolling his eyes. "What'll it be?"

After a second of surprise, Tadashi shook off the initial confusion. "You were right, I don't want a drink—although I'm certainly not underage. No," he said thoughtfully, "I wanted information—information I probably couldn't get at a larger casino. Where could one find cheap lodging?"

The owner considered the question. "What makes you think I'd know?"

"Well, you probably don't get many high-profile customers with access to five star hotels, do you?"

"No," the man grumbled, shooting a glare in his direction.

"And I'm assuming you've had to call a few taxis for people?" Tadashi pressed.

"Yes."

"So I'm assuming those not-so-high profile customers lived in areas that were cheaper than one would find at a larger casino."

"Smart aleck."

Tadashi suppressed a smirk, reaching into his pocket for a pencil. "No kidding, but that doesn't answer my question."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. I have someone who could give you directions... for a price."

"And what would that price be?" The scarred figure asked nonchalantly, rolling his eyes as he leaned back.

"Information for information. Who are you, exactly, and how did you get those scars?"

Tadashi's bored smile slipped from his face as he looked up at the owner, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Call it curiosity," the man said quietly, placing his hand on the table.

After a few seconds, Tadashi nodded. "Fair enough. The name's Teddy Takachiho," he started, more than a little unwilling to give out his real name. "I got the scars in a house fire."

"Arson?"

"Accident."

"Of course," the owner replied thoughtfully. "And the leg?"

"I was a robotics engineer before the fire, got to making myself a new leg after I lost it." This wasn't a total lie—he had majored in Robotic Engineering. However, the man still seemed suspicious.

"Alright then. Here," he added, ignoring Tadashi's pencil and pulling a pen from his pocket, writing something on a napkin. "That right there is the address of a friend I have. His name's Jerry. He's a landlord, and rents out apartments to those who can't afford to rent a room in paradise."

"Got it." Tadashi made to get up and take the napkin, only to stop at the stern expression on the man's face.

"Don't you go causing trouble over there. Jerry's a good friend of mine."

Tadashi allowed himself a small chuckle. "Do I look like the kind of person who causes trouble?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'd find it a little easier to trust you if your hands weren't bloodstained."

* * *

"There's a fire extinguisher on the corner there, we could use that as a distraction perhaps?" Hiro was holding a schematic of the floor he was on, absentmindedly twirling a pencil as he thought. Unknowingly, the pencil lead had caused his fingers to be smudged with the black-gray substance, thus causing several spots on the blueprints to be stained gray.

"That would be totally sick," Fred admitted, eyes lighting up. "Can you imagine, like, an explosion of fire extinguisher foam everywhere? It would totally be like one of Honey's chem balls, and-"

"Fred?"

"Yes?"

"Take it down a few notches."

"Right, sorry," Fred replied, blinking in surprise as Hiro's pencil suddenly stopped it's twirling to hit the teenager in the face.

"...Obviously, that wasn't my coolest moment."

"No kidding. No, don't-" Fred wasn't able to stop the younger Hamada as he reached up to massage where the pencil had hit him in the nose, causing him to look like a dog.

"What?"

"You have pencil lead on your hand, remember?"

Hiro glanced down at the offending appendage, curiously examining the graphite-stained fingertips, then chuckled as he imagined how he must look. "Oops."

Feeling that they were getting off topic, Fred returned to the question of fire extinguishers. "How would we get it to go off?"

"I was thinking that you could put one of these on top of it," Hiro replied, reaching for the nightstand and handing his team mate a small robot about the size of his thumbnail.

"Neat. What does it do?"

"It'll sit on top of the fire extinguisher, then when I press a button, on a remote—which I happen to have on me—it will drill a hole into the canister, then inject a chemical that is highly reactive to the foam inside of the extinguisher." Hiro paused, making sure that the redhead was understanding, then continued. "It will take about two minutes, but eventually the pressure will build up until the container has had enough, and it will fly out through the top, breaking the pressure valve, and spraying foam everywhere."

Fred blinked. "And the hospital staff let you make those in bed?"

"Of course not. I hid them, and I got the supplies from the team—I asked Wasabi for the supplies, and Honey let me use the chemicals."

"And what do they think you're actually doing?"

Hiro allowed himself a smirk. "They think I'm working on Baymax's scanners. I said I needed the chemical as a minor self-destruct mechanism in case of hacking—which isn't entirely a lie, I suppose, as it can also be used in that way, and Baymax's scanners have been looking off for a few days."

"You'd think they'd pick up on that," Fred replied, frowning. "They're pretty smart."

"Yes, but none of them are Mechanical Engineering majors—except for GoGo, but she doesn't know about that."

* * *

"Micro Capacitors?"

"Yeah," Wasabi replied, distracted as he sipped his latte. "He said he was working on Baymax's scanners."

GoGo frowned, watching her team mate and fellow student irritatedly. "Baymax's scanner doesn't use micro capacitors."

"Maybe he wanted to make an upgrade?"

"Capacitators are used as a power source, and the scanner is attached to Baymax's head. It doesn't need a power source, because it's already hooked up to Baymax's. No," she trailed off thoughtfully, "Hiro's up to something. What else did he ask for?"

"Liquid Aluminum Hydride," Honey Lemon replied from the other side of the room. "He needed it for a self-destruct mechanism."

Wasabi suddenly snapped to attention, looking at the two girls. "Wait, Honey Lemon gave Hiro _explosives? _While he's in the _hospital?_"

"It's not explosives, and he said he needed it so that he could work on Baymax."

"Guys," GoGo interrupted, furious that she couldn't stand up and start shouting at them. "That's not the point. Why would Hiro need aluminum hydride and a micro power source?"

"Maybe the scanner will fly or something?"

GoGo almost didn't dignify that with a response, then continued. "I don't think so. He's up to something, and I don't like the sound of it."

"Well, to be fair, it's natural that he'd be thinking on a plan," Honey Lemon pointed out. "This is kind of a personal case for him."

"For all of us," Wasabi finished quietly. "Maybe he's working on something to take Tadashi down without hurting him?"

"You think that maybe highly reactive chemicals would be a little painful? Especially to a burn victim?"

"It was just an idea, GoGo."

Just as the incapacitated Mechanical Engineer was about to respond, Honey Lemon's phone began to go off. Sighing, she went to decline the call, then froze as she saw the Caller ID.

"Guys, it's the hospital."

"Oh no. What now?"

Honey Lemon quickly accepted the call, and put the phone to her ear, listening to the frantic voice over the phone.

"He's _what?!_"

After a few more moments of heated conversation, the Latina put her phone in her back pocket, pressing the button on her bracelet that activated her suit.

"Honey, what's going on?" GoGo was certain that, now more than ever, this had to be the worst time to have a broken ankle. "What's wrong with Hiro?"

"Nothing's wrong with him, per se," Honey Lemon growled in a voice that was extremely uncharacteristic to her usually bubbly personality. "However, he seems to have broken out of the hospital."

* * *

"Take a left here!"

"No, not here—there!"

"Seriously, Fred, I'm beginning to see why you're not the designated driver."

"_Shut up, Hiro!"_

As Fred quickly turned corners, pushing Hiro in a wheelchair, he finally managed to get on one of the elevators, frantically looking around for doctors. He couldn't see any in the immediate vicinity(distracted by the exploding fire extinguishers as they likely were), and pushed the button to the ground floor, chest heaving. "This has to be the worst escape plan ever."

"Hey, we haven't been caught yet, have we?"

"True," Fred replied, straightening up as his breath returned. "But we still have to get past the receptionist."

"Just pretend you know what you're doing, and if worse comes to worst, I can make a run for it with you," Hiro answered with a smirk.

"You're in a wheelchair."

"For no reason, though. I was shot in the shoulder, not the leg."

Fred shook his head, confused. "You were limping when they helped you around yesterday, though."

"Only because I had stubbed my toe against the bed." the younger Hamada explained. "I'd prefer not to run, as it would probably tear the stitches, but if I need to, I don't have that big of an issue with it."

"Fair enough. Don't you have to sign some paperwork or something?"

Hiro felt a sharp bark of laughter coming on, and stifled it. "I doubt it. They're probably too focused on the bugs in their computers."

The elevator door let out a soft _ping_ as they arrived on the ground floor, and Fred forced himself to calm down, taking a deep breath before pushing the younger Hamada out towards the door. He forced himself not to look around, terrified, for nurses or anyone that might stop them, as he was sure they would.

He was wrong.

* * *

_**[Well, that was fun. ^-^**_

_**So, going onto the little thing with the city Las Edo. In case you weren't aware, Edo is the former name of Tokyo. I know I could have just used Las Vegas, but I loved the idea of Japanese culture spreading this far. I don't know.**_

_**Anyways, onto the reviews!**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: O.O Please don't throw bricks at me! Bricks in my face make me sad, and sad backwards is das, and das not gud.**_

_**I know, I know. I'm sorry, but if you want a really depressing/fitting song to go with chapter 16, I have to suggest "Sleep Well, My Angel," by We are the Fallen. Oh my carrots. So sad.**_

_**Thank you so much... I don't know why, but I find it easier to write from Tadashi's POV than anyone else's. Perhaps because I can relate, maybe because I like writing angst, I dunno. xD**_

_**Yeah, I know. I just found it funny, XD**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: I certainly enjoyed doing that to him. (That came out wrong. Let's put it this way: I like writing angst.) **_

_**...That hadn't occurred to me. *checks symptoms* Huh. Maybe he does. Heh... I totally intended that. ^-^'**_

_**Anonymous: I know. I actually remember once, I thought I was home alone, so I grabbed a frying pan and almost hit my brother over the head, Tangled-Style, because of that. XD**_

_**I apologize for the understatement. I am a rock, so I have no emotions.**_

_**Sydney: YES, IT IS. YES, YOU DO. **_

_**Thank you so much! I am actually thinking about taking writing courses when I graduate, and I hope to go into that. ;u;**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: Nah, it's not the end! I've come too far for that.**_

_**allietheepic7: It was a complete, hence the name change, but I found it funny.**_

_**I actually needed a visual for Tadashi's suit and scars, so I drew fanart(would it be called fanart if I wrote the story? Or would it be original art? Of course, I might have to own Big Hero 6 for that, which I obviously do not... Hm.). Too bad you can't post fanart up here(unless it's the cover, and it doesn't work too well as a cover).**_

_**Sarafine-ecleips: I KNOWWW**_

_**Thank you! It's my favorite song. ;u;**_

_**Tears Fall: Thank you! I mean, I know you didn't actually cry because we are sisters of the no-emotions club, but I appreciate the sentiment. xD**_

_**Tony18: Honestly, so am I. I did not plan on Hiro and Fred making a daring escape from the hospital when I outlined the story, and I am just as much along for the ride as you are. xD**_

_**Exactly. I intend to delve a little further into Tadashi's mental state come next update, but I shan't give away too much!**_

_**Purpalz Miner: Actually, Hiro was shot in the left shoulder. It hit his collarbone, chipping it a little, but not enough to shatter or even break it that much. It lodged in the hole, too, so that's good-if it hadn't, he probably would have died on the way to the hospital. In theory, that is.**_

_**Nah, Hiro's got his mental faculties. All the lights are on upstairs-I think. Maybe I'll mess with that a little later on, but for now, I think he's good.**_

_**So, that's all for answering your reviews! Thank you guys so, so much for your support and the time you've taken to read my work! Please leave me a review, and if you have any questions, suggestions, critiques, etc. please don't hesitate to mention it in your review or PM me! I will do my very best to answer or fix the plot holes. **_

_**Thanks again! Oblivious out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	18. This is Why I Had to Leave

_**[Hello again, everyone~! I apologize for the long wait. My computer broke, and I had no motivation, and... I really don't have an amazing excuse, do I? Sigh. Anyways, here you go. I feel the need to mention that Tadashi seems almost uncharacteristically insane in this chapter, even after everything that's happened.]**_

* * *

"He can't have just broken out of the hospital. You'd think that the doctors would be more than capable of keeping him there."

"Wasabi, you forget that Hiro is a prodigy. He's more than capable of getting past a few nerds in white jackets," Honey Lemon reminded him, wincing as she remembered him saying the exact same thing during a training session.

GoGo groaned from her wheelchair, more irritated than anything. From the reports the team had received, Fred had aided in Hiro's Great Escape, actually assisting in placing traps on various fire extinguishers. "What I don't understand is why he ran away in the first place. I can see that maybe he wanted to go and look for Tadashi faster than we thought he should, but why would Fred help him? I mean," she amended, "He isn't exceedingly bright, but even he's smarter than that."

Honey Lemon frowned at GoGo's putting down their teammate, then shrugged it off. "Well, if you guys don't recall, he wasn't entirely up to our plan to put Tadashi in jail if we couldn't get through to him."

"When you put it like that, we sound heartless," Wasabi remarked. "He did murder two people. Almost three," he added, wincing as the memory of Hiro's bleeding figure burned behind his eyes. "It's not as if we have an enormous variety of options here."

"I'm not saying that we're completely wrong. But if Fred, say, told Hiro..."

GoGo looked up at the blonde Latina, eyes growing wide. "So, that answers the question of motive. They're going off to look for Tadashi on their own."

"Precisely."

Wasabi frowned, brow furrowed. "What we need to figure out now is where they're going."

* * *

"He's not here."

"You really think so, Fred?"

Not catching the hint of sarcasm in his comrade's voice, the redhead nodded solemnly—even though Hiro couldn't see him through the suit. "I'm pretty sure."

Rolling his eyes, Hiro sighed, placing one hand on the wall to steady himself. After leaving the hospital, the younger Hamada had directed Fred to his garage at home, where he had retrieved his spare armor. It took a little while to maneuver so that he didn't aggravate the stitches in his shoulder, but he finally managed to get most of it on, minus a single shoulder-pad. After this, they had moved on to the warehouse.

"I think that's obvious. He would have noticed us while I spent a full half hour getting my armor on, which you insisted I do."

Fred winced, choosing his words carefully. "Hiro, as much as I agree that we need to give your brother the chance, I'm not entirely sure where his mental state is heading right now. He's spent a while away from home, and he obviously isn't all there-" Fred paused, doing his best to ignore the teenager's furious gaze. "What with after everything that's happened, he's not very stable. I don't think he'd hurt you again, but..."

"You think it's possible that Tadashi's so far gone that he'd try to kill me."

"Again."

"The first time was an accident."

Not entirely sure how to answer that, Fred led the way through the various rooms of the warehouse. As they began to meander through familiar territory, Hiro began to move to the front, pausing at the concrete room where he had been held.

"What is it?"

"...Nothing. This is just where I was being held."

Fred nodded, not entirely sure whether to answer with sympathy, or if that would set the already traumatized teenager off. "I don't think he's here, Hiro."

"I think we've already established that," he muttered sarcastically. "He might have left something though. And if nothing else, I might be able to get my jacket back."

"That was a complete waste of time."

* * *

_If we're being entirely honest with yourself, you were very unreasonable back there._

"I wasn't being unreasonable," Tadashi growled to the voice at the back of his head—the one that had been directing him since the fire, the one that he had already given a name to. Akuma, meaning 'devil', or more accurately, 'demon'—after the island he had lived on for a month or so after escaping the hospital, after the feeling it would sometimes give him, as if he were _possessed_.

Tadashi was many things: He was determined, intelligent, perhaps a little strange at times. But he would never have given himself the description 'insane'.

That is, until Akuma began to take over. Even his kind, calm personality had begun to become corrupted in Akuma's manipulative hands, until the alter-ego of 'Sukochi' began to emerge from it. Sukochi had died when Hiro almost did, leaving the original Tadashi, but even he was getting confused as to who was who now-or if there was even more than one.

_Perhaps you _are _insane. I'm you, remember? Don't make me the villain. All I've ever wanted—all _we've _ever wanted—was to see Callaghan come to justice after what he did._

"But that was before Hiro got hurt while we were going through with it," Tadashi muttered, closing his eyes. "I never agreed to that."

_He's fine now. It doesn't matter, though. The big question for us is what we're going to do now._

The elder Hamada shifted his position from on top of the roof of an apartment complex, wincing as his muscles began to ache. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe I'll try to forge a new life."

_In what, though? Here, of all places? You're terrible at gambling._

Tadashi chuckled darkly, remembering the last time he had attempted to do anything of the sort. Long story short, GoGo had ended up cleaning house, and he had ended up broke. "If nothing else, you're right on that. Do you have any bright ideas?"

_Hey, it's your head. I'm just along for the ride. Maybe you could be a bodyguard or something. You're pretty handy with that knife, aren't you?_

"Uncalled for."

_It's the truth, though. If you don't want to get a career of any kind up here, and you don't want to go back, and you don't want to just sit around doing nothing, what _do _you want to do? _

"I... I don't know."

* * *

"What was in this room?"

Hiro walked over to where the man in the kaiju suit was standing, pointing to a single door.

"Hm. I don't know. I didn't notice it before. Is it locked?"

"Obviously. Stand back," Fred warned, gesturing for Hiro to move as he readied his flamethrower.

"You don't need to-"

_Whoosh._

Within moments, the strong door had been reduced to little more than a charred doorframe. Hiro quickly pulled out the miniature fire extinguisher he had begun to carry around as a precaution, and doused the smoldering remains of the door.

"I was about to say that I could just pick the lock," Hiro muttered, pocketing the empty canister. "Would have required less dangerous flames."

"Yes," Fred admitted, "But would it have been as cool?"

"I suppose not," the teenager replied, deadpanning as he stepped through the door—or what was left of it, anyhow.

"This looks sort of like a bedroom," Fred commented, with a slight frown although no one could see it. "An ugly, sparsely decorated, very simple bedroom."

"Yes, Fred," Hiro remarked with an edge of sarcasm to his voice. "Because of course the first thing Tadashi thought after formulating his plan to kill Callaghan was 'You know what I need to work on? Interior decorating.'"

"The carpet needs to be replaced, too," Fred muttered to himself, wincing at the dark red stains by the bed. "Is it just me, or is that blood?"

Hiro glanced in the direction Fred was facing, and his eyes grew wide. "Yeah. You don't think...?" He strode to the bed, looking around for anything that would give a clue as to where this came from, when he spotted the armor that his older brother had been wearing—still covered in dried blood. The mask was lying, face-up, on top of the neatly piled metal, none of which had been scrubbed down or clearly even touched since the incident.

"Looks like he forgot to wash up after going to kill the professor."

"I don't blame him," Fred said quietly, then froze as his eye caught the corner of an envelope. "Hiro."

"What?"

Wordlessly, the redhead stepped to the desk on the other side of the room, waving the white rectangle. "Looks like it's addressed to you."

Nodding in understanding, the younger Hamada moved to join him, taking the letter from his hand. Quietly looking over it to make sure that it wasn't going to spray silly string in his face or something(an old Hamada Specialty prank that Tadashi had pulled on several unsuspecting victims), Hiro finally lifted the corner of the flap, sliding his fingernail underneath and unsealing it.

"What does it say?"

"I don't know, I just opened it," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Let me read it."

"Could you read it aloud?" At the teenager's irritated glance, Fred quickly added onto his original statement. "For dramatic effect?"

"...Fine." Hiro pulled the small piece of lined paper out of the envelope and began to read, brow furrowed.

"_Dear Hiro,_

_If you are reading this, I'm probably already long gone. No, not like that. I'm still very much alive. I've already left you to believe I'm dead once. I won't let that happen again. But I don't think I'll be seeing you again for a while..." _Hiro paused, making sure he'd read that right. Assured that yes, that was what it had said, he continued.

"_...I don't trust myself any more. I know you probably wouldn't if you knew what's been going on inside my head. I generally had an enormous amount of self control. You know this better than anyone. But even when you were begging me to give up on the most foolish thing I've ever pursued, I couldn't listen. Because of this, you were hurt. More specifically, I hurt you, and I can never forgive myself for that._

_I know that you've upgraded Baymax's scanners so that he can find anyone in the city—which, I have to say, is pretty impressive, little brother." _Forcing a small, sad smile, Hiro read on, heart sinking lower with each word.

"_But after everything that's happened, I can't let you come and find me. I don't trust myself not to hurt you again—intentionally or not. _

_So I've moved out of the range of Baymax's scanners. Yes, you're reading this right. I've left San Fransokyo. I can hardly believe it myself. I've spent my entire life here, and I'm just leaving at the drop of a hat. I'm going to miss this place. Just like I'm sure you'll miss your jacket. That's right, I took your jacket. Deal with it. Call it a keepsake." _Hiro blinked, irritated and confused and above all, hollow as he put one hand on the desk to steady himself. He stopped speaking, opting instead to read in silence. Fred stood by, quiet and deciding that perhaps it was better for the teenager to have a moment.

* * *

Tadashi leaned back as his mind wandered back to the letter that Hiro had no doubt read by now, wishing that he could have said more. He would have, that is, if he had managed to muster up the courage to say it to Hiro's face, but...

_I couldn't put us through that torture. I won't put _him _through that. Not again._

**_I have so much to say to you—so much that I wish I could say in person. I have a feeling I'll end up crying, so I'll make this brief._**

And he had—strong as he had forced himself to be, he had ended up sniffling as he wrote what may well have been his parting words to his brother, and God, it _hurt._

* * *

_I'm so, so proud of you. It hurts me more than I can say that I wasn't there to watch you become the person you are today. Although I'm not entirely on board with the whole superhero thing, you don't need your older brother telling you what to do. I can already tell that you're responsible enough to make that decision for yourself._

**_No, I'm not. I need you here with me. Please- _**Feeling the hot saltwater streaking down his face, Hiro reached up to wipe the tears away, only remembering that he wasn't wearing long sleeves after his hands felt startlingly wet.

_Please don't come looking for me. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt again because of me. I can't let that happen again._

**_I know you didn't mean it. I don't blame you._**

_I'll be entirely honest, I'm not going to ask for forgiveness. Deep down, I still think that Callaghan should have paid for what he did to me—and to you. He forced you to grow up faster than anyone should, and he took away the only things that we had. I missed an entire year of your life, and had the rest of mine changed drastically for the worst in one fell swoop. That doesn't mean I'm not sorry for my actions. If I had the chance, I would throw that pistol out the window and go back home with you. No second thoughts._

* * *

Tadashi winced as the blisteringly hot Las Edo wind whipped him in the face, with a good amount of sand in it. However, he was certain that the tears threatening to spill over were not a result of that.

_But I can't._

_I also won't ask for forgiveness because what I did was unforgivable. You gave me a second chance. Even after I murdered an innocent woman simply because she was in my way, you were willing to take a risk and stand in front of me. You didn't give up on me, even though you had every right to do so. I was so lost in hatred and regret, and you did your best to show me the way. In a way, I suppose you did. In a different way, but you did. Callaghan doesn't have anything to fear from me any more, because I'm going to protect you from myself by leaving. I'm sorry._

_But I will say this. Even though I'm not there with you, I swear that as long as I live, no harm shall come to you by my hand. I promised you that I would protect you, and in a way, I suppose I'm going to keep that promise. Maybe not in the way I had hoped, but if it takes staying away to keep you safe, that is what I'm going to do._

_And not a day will go by that I won't miss your smile._

_From your nerd brother..._

* * *

**_Tadashi._**

"So that's it then," Fred whispered. Hiro glanced up to find the redhead leaning over just enough to catch a few words. "Tadashi's left."

Hiro didn't respond for a good twenty seconds, then nodded slowly. "I guess so."

"What do we do now? He said not to look for him, but..." the redhead trailed off, a slight smile quirking the corner of his mouth. "I can tell by your expression that you're not going to listen to your older brother?"

The younger Hamada looked up, head tilted and a sly smile flitting across his face. "Have I ever?"

"I guess not," Fred admitted. "How are we going to find him? We don't have Baymax, I'm assuming. We left him at your Aunt's place." He paused, then thoughtfully added: "Unless we're risking capture to get him back."

"That would probably be best, but no," Hiro replied, eyes lighting up. "I have a better idea."

"But he's moved out of range," Fred reminded the teenager.

Hiro glanced in his direction before folding the letter up and placing it into his pocket. "We don't need Baymax for this-we have our rocket boots. Well, I have my rocket boots. You have your superjumps."

"Okay, transportation is taken care of, but we still don't know how to find him, unless you..." Fred stopped, eyes going wide. "He has your jacket."

"Exactly."

Fred felt a frown cross his face for a moment. "But your aunt took the tracker out."

"No, she didn't," Hiro said with a grin. "She never got the chance. I was going to let her, but then Duncan reported seeing Tadashi at the warehouse..."

"And you ran off without a second thought."

"Yes."

"So, Tadashi has a bug on him?"

"Exactly." Hiro felt the paper brush against his hand as he placed it in his pocket, and forced back tears of relief. "We're going to go and find Tadashi, whether he wants us to or not."

* * *

_**[Looks like Tadashi has something bugging him. (ha, ha.)**_

_**Right, so onto reviews: **_

_**Tears Fall: What can I say? I like leaving people hanging. **_

_**Likewise! *looks at meaningfully***_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: You're welcome. XD I actually made a playlist for that chapter in particular. Speaking of sad songs for this story, I would also suggest Kryptonite by Three Doors Down. Oh my carrots. This song.**_

_**Why, thank you! And yes, that was intentional. I make far too many references in my stories. xD**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: No, you don't understand. I put the symptoms in, but it wasn't until after you mentioned it that I realized how much they resembled PTSD. So, just a little bit of completely unintentional and accidental awesomeness. xD**_

_**I certainly hope so! I've completely ditched the outline at this point. No idea what's going to happen now!**_

_**Banana Gun: Nah, not really. I'm not very good at romance, unfortunately. I might end up having some implied ships near the end, but if I'm being entirely honest, the main storyline is probably going to be just Hamadafeels, haha.**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: I am hoping that I have helped that with this chapter! If you remember, in chapter 16, there was a scene after the incident at the prison where Tadashi was trying to wash off the blood on his hands, but there was still a good amount of dried blood stains that he couldn't get out(probably due to the fact that he didn't have any soap). This is kind of symbolic in my view: he literally has Hiro's blood on his hands. I intend to have this pop up a few times later on, so keep an eye out for it!**_

_**Tony18: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I certainly found it fun to write. xD It honestly sounds like something I would do(If I were smarter, that is).**_

_**I hope I have given you a little bit of a better look inside Tadashi's mind with his letter here. Probably not a ton of insight, I know, but it's the best I could do at this point in the story. ;)**_

_**Snow fun: Thank you so much!**_

_**CreativeWriter3: Thank you so much! In answer to your question, I am thinking about making it about... I dunno, maybe another 3 chapters? After that, I'm thinking I'll write the epilogue, then add a few alternate endings afterwards(because I had several ideas as to how to end this, all of which would have worked, but I'm sticking with my original plan. ;)). No, thank YOU for being one of my awesome supporters!**_

_**Sarafine-ecleips: Hospitals are generally still open at night time. Also, with generally less to do at night, it's likely that the staff would have been more wary in the wee hours. Not to mention the fact that Hiro is a teenager and thus needs sleep.**_

_**Everybody else: Thank you so much for reading and supporting me in this process! I couldn't have done this without each and every one of you! Please review and let me know how I did, and if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to PM me, I love talking to you guys! ^-^**_

_**Oblivious Out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	19. If I Will it All Away

**_[Hello, people of Internetland! First, I'd like to thank you for reading thus far, and getting this far without dying. xD_**

**_Second, I am placing a Trigger Warning here, for thoughts of suicide. That's about as far as it goes, but if you're sensitive to this kind of thing, I figured that I needed to warn you. Speaking of which, if you feel like you need to talk to someone, I'm here and willing to talk, okay?_**

**_Third: I have a cookie for the person who can guess where this chapter title came from! Yes, it is a song lyric, as usual._**

**_That aside, here is chapter 19! Here you go, and please enjoy!]_**

* * *

Honey Lemon leaned back in her swivel chair, playing with one of her chem balls. "So, let's lay down a list of the places we've checked. Remind me why we're not using Baymax?"

"He burned out his thrusters getting Hiro to the hospital. As a result, Baymax doesn't want to scan because part of him is broken." Wasabi sighed, punching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Once all of this is over, we need to get Hiro to fix that."

"It is very inconvenient, isn't it?"

"We're checking places, guys," GoGo reminded them. "While I'm working on thrusters, you need to be looking for Hiro and Fred."

"...Right," Honey Lemon murmured, absentmindedly ticking off places that they had gone on her fingers. "Both of the warehouses were empty, and they weren't at the cafe. They weren't at Fred's, either, or the prison."

"We've searched the university and they're not there," Wasabi added, having not moved from his frustrated position on one of the beanbag chairs in Hiro's lab. "Where else would they be?"

"Maybe they're at the bridge? Or maybe..." GoGo's eyes narrowed. "How about Akuma Island?"

"Why would they be at Akuma island?"

"Because you're too chicken to go anywhere with a skull sign."

Wasabi frowned at the wheelchair-ridden GoGo, then rolled his eyes. "I think I can deal with it."

Honey Lemon frowned as a thought came to her. "What if they're not in San Fransokyo anymore?"

GoGo moved her wheelchair just slightly, to give her a better view of the blonde Latina. "Why wouldn't they be in San Fransokyo?"

"Well, you know how we thought that they had been to the warehouse? You know, because of the door?"

GoGo allowed herself a chuckle, remembering the melted remains of what had once been a perfectly functional door. "Yeah?"

"What if they found something there? A lead to where Tadashi might be?"

Wasabi turned, nodding. "I was thinking the same thing, but why do you think they've left?"

"Well, what exactly do you think Tadashi would do after what happened at the prison?" Honey countered.

"I wouldn't know, he's completely lost it."

"Maybe not as much as you'd think," Honey muttered. "I may not have been as close to Tadashi as, say, Hiro is, but I know that if he thinks that he's any danger to Hiro, he'll do his best to remedy that."

GoGo's eyes widened. "So you think that maybe he'll...?"

"What?" Wasabi looked up, confused. "He'll what?"

"...I was thinking that maybe he'd try to off himself, but obviously, that's not the direction you guys are headed."

Honey Lemon's eyes grew wide, then she shook her head. "No, I don't think that's what's going on here. I wouldn't put it past him," she admitted, wincing, "but if he had, we would have gotten some kind of contact from Fred or Hiro. There wouldn't be a point to them staying away."

"Do you think that suicide could be an outcome?"

Honey Lemon glanced at GoGo, forcing back tears. "Possibly, but I certainly hope not. Hiro's already lost his brother once, I don't think he'd be able to go through that again."

* * *

_Well, if you don't know what you're going to do, why come here?_

"Because I can't stay with Hiro in San Fransokyo. I don't have a ton of options here."

_There are a few. There's the obvious—get a job, forge out a life here._

"Personally, I find that idea to be complete and utter crap," Tadashi muttered. "Next."

_You could go back._

"That one's even worse than the first."

_You could find somewhere else, maybe? You're a pretty good fighter, if you find yourself a nice city, you could help out there._

"Hm. That actually sounds..." Tadashi trailed off, seemingly considering the idea, then dropped the act. "Terrible. I want _not _to draw attention to myself."

_Well, I'm fresh out of ideas. Unless..._

Tadashi knew what Akuma was going to say, and sighed shaking his head. "I've considered it a few times, yes."

_I don't think you should._

"I didn't exactly ask for your input, as I recall," Tadashi snarled, leaning over to put his head in his hands. By now, he was simply hanging out in one of the alleys, taking a little time to think. Every now and then, someone would walk by, give him a glance, and pretend he wasn't there, but other than that, he was, for the most part, alone.

_No, you didn't. Have you considered what you'd leave behind?_

"Let's see. A life as a cripple, never being able to go back, being completely alone. The guilt of shooting my little brother, and, most importantly, an annoying voice in my head."

_Okay, that last part was hurtful, but I see what you mean. You're not considering more than a few things. You're not exactly a cripple. That cybernetic leg you made yourself has turned out to be pretty handy, and you can move around just fine._

"Fair enough."

_You can, in fact, go back, you are just choosing not to. You think that Hiro doesn't need you anymore—and maybe you're right. He's come pretty far. But he's already lost you once._

"I'm sure he can deal with it one more time," Tadashi whispered, reaching up to adjust his hat.

_No, actually, I don't think he can. You remember how he was after the fire?_

Tadashi leaned back, head gently bumping the concrete wall. "I guess I hadn't thought about that."

_It's hard enough for him, watching you in this state. Imagine if Hiro was like this—brought so low that he thought you didn't need him anymore._

The elder Hamada allowed himself a chuckle, shaking his head. "He knows that would never be the case."

_In that case, he's much smarter than you're being right now. Don't make your letter a complete lie._

* * *

You'd think that perhaps rocket boots would be insanely loud. So loud, in fact, that the only thing you'd be able to think of during your flight would be the sound of said boots. And, for the most part, that was true. But after Hiro had spent some five hours trying to fix this, they were almost silent—so much so that the silence prompted conversation. Provided by Fred.

Hiro was beginning to wish that he hadn't fixed the boots.

"Fred," he finally remarked, barely holding back a wave of irritation. "Has it occurred to you that maybe this isn't the time?"

"We still have a ways to go before we get to Las Edo, little man," Fred chuckled, laughing even harder as Hiro moved to scoop up a pebble and almost crashed into the ground. "Good thing you were wearing your helmet."

Straightening up, the younger Hamada winced as the stitches in his shoulder pulled at his skin_. _"All I'm asking is that maybe it would be a good idea to not talk about whatever comes to mind?"

"Hey, it's not my fault that I don't have a filter."

"Actually, Fred, that's exactly your fault. If anyone's fault, it's entirely yours."

Fred paused before answering, an impish grin on his face—although the teenager couldn't see it. "Actually, I inherited this mouth from my mother. Blame her."

"Maybe I will," Hiro muttered, wincing. "When do you think we'll get there, exactly?"

"I'd say maybe..." Fred tilted his head mid-jump, calculating as best he could. Having spent a lot of time traveling with his parents, he had a surprising knack for guessing how long it took to get somewhere. "At our pace, maybe four more hours?"

"Well, in the four hours we have until we get there, maybe we should come up with a plan of sorts?"

"You need a plan?" Fred's voice had a confused lilt as he turned to look at Hiro. "It's simple enough. Try to talk Tadashi out of whatever the heck he's thinking about doing, and get him back home."

"Well, yeah," Hiro replied, eyebrows coming together as he frowned. "But that's not what I meant. I mean, Las Edo is a pretty big place. He's going to find it pretty easy to lose us, don't you think we should find some way to, I dunno, corner him?"

"Hiro," Fred began gently, "Tadashi's been through a lot already, and he's probably very unstable. I don't think cornering him would be a wise move."

"I guess you're right," Hiro finally muttered grudgingly. "So, what? Just walk up to him and hope he doesn't run away?"

"Maybe. Or maybe not. We could just try to get him in a crowded place," Fred suggested.  
"Yes, because that will do so much," Hiro replied snarkily. "We might just have to wing it."

"I feel like I need to remind you that every time we try to wing it, we end up getting pummeled."

* * *

_You're not completely alone, you just choose to make yourself that way. There are plenty of people who want nothing more to come in and fix you. You just refuse to let that happen._

"Because if I do, I might hurt someone," Tadashi mumbled, irritated at Akuma—no, himself. There was no Akuma, just himself. Why did he give his inner voice a stupid name, anyways?

_Because it makes it easier to explain why you do these things. If you give it a name, you can blame the thing with the name. Of course, this makes it harder to deal with what you've done, because you don't have anyone to pawn the blame off on._

"You can be extremely irritating, you know that, right?"

_You're talking to yourself, Tadashi. _

The elder Hamada sighed, bringing his legs close as he sat on the cold ground. "Yeah. I guess I am."

_It's only going to get worse if you let it consume you. The guilt doesn't fade. Not unless you face it._

"But how can I face this?" Tadashi wrapped his arms around his legs, wincing as his fingers brushed against cold metal. "I promised Hiro I'd protect him, and now..."

_Now he knows that you're only human. You can only hold yourself to a certain standard. Everyone makes mistakes._

"But not everyone's mistakes result in the near-fatal injury of the person you care about most."

* * *

GoGo leaned back in her wheelchair, letting out a soft sigh of satisfaction as she viewed the finished thruster on her desk. It had taken a while, especially considering the size. Hiro DID have a penchant for his inventions to be super-sized. Probably to make up for...

_Anyways,_ with Baymax's damaged thruster out of the way, it could finally be refitted, and the scanner would be a go. She moved to grab her cellphone, about to call the team when...

_Squeak-squeak. Squeak-squeak. Squeak-squeak._

"Hello, GoGo."

Startled, the Mechanical Engineering student looked up, almost falling out of her chair. "Baymax! I thought you were at the Lucky Cat?"

"That is correct," the healthcare companion confirmed. "However, I sensed Hiro move out of my scanner's range. I am required to find him, as he is my primary patient. I see that my thruster is finished."

"Uh... Yeah," GoGo replied, trailing off. "I'll get this on you as soon as possible. What do you mean, Hiro's moved out of range?"

"The last time he was in range, he was moving northeast. Then, he disappeared."

"Northeast..." GoGo frowned, eyebrows coming together in confusion. "What's northeast? Where would they be going?"

"My GPS indicates that, from the given information, the most likely destination would be: Las Edo."

"Las Edo," GoGo repeated, eyes growing wide. "I guess... I guess that makes sense. No one would ask questions there."

"Affirmative," Baymax agreed. "I am contacting our friends now."

* * *

_**[Right then, now that that is out of the way, I thought I'd make something clear:**_

_**I am not going to go much further into anything that might trigger. I have to look at trigger warnings myself, and I don't intend on doing anything like that. I am sorry, but no.**_

_**Now, onto reviews:**_

_**Tears Fall: Now, I make short jokes and delve into Akuma a little bit. You happy? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? Jk, but did this make you happy in any way how was it please tell me**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: Hehe... I might have ripped it off a little bit from Maleficent. Hush. Don't tell. *puts finger on your lips* It's very secret. **_

_**I apologize for the mental tears. xD**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: I was considering it, but I shan't reveal the ending. I am not that kind of author.**_

_**sarafine-ecleips: Likewise. Angst is my specialty. Well, angst and jokes poking fun at Hiro's... vertical disability.**_

**_I love puns so much. xD_**

**_I was originally going to have Hiro's ringtone be 'This Girl is on Fire', but I didn't want to kick a dead horse any more than I had to. xD Thus, his ringtone is 'Shake it Off' by Taylor Swift. xD_**

**_Lady Cougar-Trombone: Oh. Sorry, then... xD I am so oblivious sometimes. (hence the pen name)_**

**_Yeah, puns are one of my specialties. Also, coming up with fitting song lyrics._**

**_Tony18: I hope I've helped a little bit with that insight with this chapter! I really enjoy the depth you're going into with this, you have no idea. Thank you so much!_**

**_Everyone else: Thank you for being there and supporting me! Please review and let me know how you did, or PM me if you have suggestions or questions!_**

**_Oblivious Out! *throws self out of frame*]_**


	20. Don't Want to Miss You Tonight

_**[Mrrp. Sorry for how slow I've been updating... I swear, this won't go on for much longer! The slow updates, that is. Finally, we're getting into a little more action! Anyways, I thought I'd add, I have actually started to make a playlist. Because I get bored, too. I actually have a song for each chapter. The one for this chapter is 'Iris' by Goo Goo Dolls. Gah. I love that song.**_

_**In other news, here is the chapter, please enjoy!]**_

* * *

_"And I don't want the world to see me_

_Cause I don't think that they'd understand..._

_When everything's made to be broken,_

_I just want you to know who I am."_

_-'Iris', Goo Goo Dolls_

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Believe me, Hiro, we'll know it when we see it."

"Is that it?"

"That's a power plant, Hiro."

Hiro frowned for a moment, then his eyes lit up as a cluster of lights came into view. "What about that?"

"That's a truck stop, Hiro," Fred explained, doing his very best not to completely freak out on the teen. This had been going on for a little more than an hour, the sun having long since gone down. "Las Edo is-"

"What about that?"

Fred groaned, glancing upwards for a moment to catch sight of the twinkling lights in the distance. "That's..." He paused for a moment, then felt a grin flit cross his face. "Okay, that really is it."

"Really?!" The younger Hamada did his best to lean forward, catching a glimpse of the beacon throwing light into the void, and almost tripping on himself.

"Yep. Try not to hurt yourself, little dude," Fred reminded him, wincing as he heard the sharp intake of breath over his com. "Don't pull your stitches too much."

"You think I'm not trying?"

"I think you're too focused on your brother," Fred corrected gently. "As much as I want Tadashi home safe, I want you to not get yourself hurt more. God knows what your brother would do to me if I let you get hurt," he added, chuckling to himself.

Hiro nodded slowly, righting himself on the rocket boots and speeding forward again. "You know, you've really mellowed since I met you."

"That's a result of spending more time with my parents," the science enthusiast replied. "My dad found out pretty quickly about the superhero thing, and told me that I could only use the house as an HQ if I spent more time at _his _convention things. Turns out he actually used to be a superhero too," Fred chuckled.

"So I guess it runs in the family?"

"I guess so."

The not-so-dynamic duo sped on in silence, Fred occasionally hitting the ground then bouncing back high into the air, and Hiro not touching the ground at all, rocket boots ablaze with light.

"Fred, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, little dude."

Hiro winced at yet another attack on his height. "The team came to the decision to put Tadashi away for good if he didn't come to his senses straightaway."

"That would be a big yep."

"But you didn't agree with them."

"No, I did not," Fred confirmed. He glanced at the teen, anticipating the next question. "And you want to know why."

"Yes."

Fred paused to gather his thoughts, then answered carefully. "Well, you guys know how I used to be like."

"Like what?"

"Hyper, and over-the-top."

Hiro frowned(although his companion couldn't see it). "You weren't _that _hyper. It could be a bit overwhelming sometimes, I'll admit it, but it didn't matter."

"Well, thanks little dude," Fred replied sincerely. "But anyways, that, the fact that no one had any idea who I was or where I came from, added to the fact that I was never actually a student at SFIT, tended to get attention."

"So?"

"...Not in the good way." Fred winced as he recalled a few especially cruel taunts that hadn't faded from his memory over the years. "I didn't exactly have a ton of friends when I first started there."

Hiro grew quiet as he listened, nodding along in sympathy, having spent one too many times getting shoved into a locker. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's no big deal. Anyways," the English Major continued, "Tadashi had to have been my first real friend. Kids in high school thought I was a weirdo, and all throughout elementary and middle school, people avoided me because of who my dad was."

"Got it," Hiro replied, reaching into his pocket as he replied. "And the others?"

"Well, most of them had okay childhoods, but they've always had friends over the years. I mean, don't get me wrong," Fred amended hastily, "Tadashi is—or rather, was—still their best friend. I know they want him back more than anything. But after being so lonely as a kid, I kind of value the friends that I have now more, you catch my drift?"

"Yeah," Hiro responded quietly, pulling his phone out as he skidded to a halt. "So, we're here."

"I guess so."

"Let's get down to business," the teenager said with a small smile, pulling up the GPS tracker device on his phone, the small _blip_ was was his brother blinking softly from the screen.

* * *

"_Everyone makes mistakes."_

Tadashi felt a shooting pain up his arm, and glanced down in surprise, only just realizing that his fists were clenched to the point of stiffness. He quickly opened his hands, massaging his knuckles to get the blood flowing again, and leaned back once more. Without realizing it, he found one hand sliding into his coat pocket to close around the soft fabric of his brother's jacket.

"_I wonder what the team is doing right now. If I'm correct, Hiro's probably broken out by now, so they're most likely trying to find him. More importantly, I wonder..."_

The thought, spoken aloud, trailed off as his fingertips grazed the small hard patch where the tracker had been sewn in. Tadashi smiled and pulled out the blue garment, running his fingers over the patch of fabric.

"_I spent a lot of time on this. I always expected Hiro to find out, whether from the fact that I always knew where his botfights were, or from the hard metal piece against the back of his neck. Maybe he's not as focused as he thinks he is," _the elder Hamada chuckled to himself, mind wandering back. One thing he had never bothered to fix was the fact that whenever the tracker connected to the app he'd put on his phone, it had always let out a soft sound—not so soft that it was inaudible, but not so loud that you would notice it in a botfighting ring. It was soft, a slight beep, more like a-

_Blip._

Tadashi's eyes unfocused as the sound pierced the relative silence of the alley. He paused, confused, then he let out a soft gasp of horror.

"_They never took the tracker out. That means I have a bug on me. And if they know the frequency, they can track me, so long as I have this on me. Which means they must be on their way."_

Suddenly overcome with an urge to throw the blue garment away from him, Tadashi's hand clenched again, and he balled it up, ready to throw it across the alley and make a run for it. He made to throw it...

And stopped.

He tried, several times, but each time something stopped him, some kind of subconscious urging.

"_I... I can't just throw Hiro's favorite jacket away. He'll be missing it."_

Leaning back again, Tadashi sighed and ran his thumb over the blue fabric, glaring at the offending item of clothing.

"_You just had to be bugged, didn't you?" _Tadashi asked the jacket bitterly.

The jacket did not reply.

* * *

"Baymax, ease up on the thrusters."

Being well acquainted with the technology surrounding electromagnets, GoGo had found it pretty easy to rig up the electromags on her suit to attach to Baymax's magnets. She had even figured out a way to make a fold-up wheelchair that she could compact into one of her disks with the push of a button.

Not bad for two hour's work.

After fixing everything up, bringing the team up to date, and doing her very best not to aggravate her injured leg, GoGo finally was on her way, the remainder of her team behind her—or rather, below her.

"_You know, GoGo, I'm still afraid of heights!"_

"Stop whining, woman up," the Mechanical Engineer had replied, rolling her eyes and shifting just so in order to glare at her team mate.

"_Insensitive, much?" _Wasabi's voice was nearly lost in the wind, both terrified and extremely irritated as he shifted his awkward position clutching Baymax's arm.

"Can it, Wasabi. We'll be there in about an hour." Turning her attention to the plush robot, GoGo leaned over to look it in the face. "Picking them up on your sensors, Baymax?"

"I am afraid they are still out of reach," the healthcare companion replied with an almost apologetic tone.

"Ah, that's alright. We have a pretty good idea of where they are. We'll find them soon enough," GoGo said quietly, returning to her designated seat. "We'll find them."

* * *

"_It's too late to just take the tracker out. They know where I am now. I could keep moving, of course, but unless I intend to throw away the jacket there isn't really a point to it."_

Tadashi forced himself to stand up, suddenly weary from everything. All the thinking was finally overwhelming him, to the point of physical exhaustion. He looked around him, at the place where his decisions had lead him, and sighed, his hand clenching into a fist around his brother's jacket.

_I'm done running._

As he stepped out of the alley and onto the busy street, the elder Hamada blinked, taking in the scene. He put a hand against the concrete wall to steady himself, jacket still in hand, and took a moment to compose himself.

_I don't want to face Hiro._

He took a deep breath, his hand flying to his injured throat, massaging the burns and swallowing, suddenly desperate for a glass of water. Tadashi straightened up, forcing himself to walk out onto the sidewalk, wincing at each sharp bark of laughter, every shatter of glass. The overwhelming smell of smoke and tobacco assaulted him, driving him towards a doorway to what appeared to be an abandoned building.

_I really, really don't._

He stepped through the door, taking a deep breath of the slightly less toxic air. The building, in fact, abandoned, to Tadashi's relief, and he took the opportunity to smooth out the ragged, dirty clothing in his hand. His fingertips traced the seams running up the sleeves, and finally he folded it neatly—as he had done countless times before when Hiro simply refused to do his laundry, opting to let his older brother do it for him(as he doubtless would, whether he actually wanted to or not).

_But I can't let him go this far just to hurt himself. _

The former college student tilted his head slightly, contemplating his next course of action, and finally came to a decision.

_I can't go back. I can't let myself put Hiro in danger._

_But I'm not going to let him put himself in danger for my sake, either._

_Maybe... Maybe if I was able to tell him... in person..._

_Maybe he'd listen. _

_Maybe he'd understand._

Standing up straight and running his hand through his ruined hair, Tadashi took a deep breath and stepped back outside, ready to face his brother.

He didn't even notice how silent 'Akuma' had been over the past hour or so.

He didn't notice how he had stopped speaking out loud to himself for a little while.

* * *

A young woman leaned on her windowsill, looking down on the street below. The sky was bright blue, the perfect weather for practically anything. That is, if you were into that kind of thing. Or if you had the time.

Of course, she had never had the time. It was hard enough just getting the things done that she needed to get done, there was very little time for play. It was easier back in her hometown, San Fransokyo, where she had very little she _needed _to do. It wasn't easy being a Fujita, and it certainly wasn't very easy to deal with the consequences of her actions afterwards. But it was definitely not as difficult as her life in Las Edo.

It hadn't been great, she had had to do time, but after finally deciding that she wasn't that person anymore, she had tried to start a new life. She'd gotten a job, she'd moved into a nice house.

_Then, of course, I had to fall in love, and get married, then he had to go and __**die...**_

The woman sighed, leaning back into the wall, fishing a lighter out of her pocket. She had managed to get a job that didn't involve anything shady(something that was kind of hard in this area of town), but they were still long hours, and what with Charlotte needing to be provided for... It had just gotten kind of tiring over time.

_I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never fallen for him._

She closed her eyes for a moment, looking for a cigarette, and twirled the lighter in her fingers, allowing herself a small smile as the flame leapt to life. She moved to light the roll of paper and froze, startled as her daughter let out a cry of fear. She shoved the lighter in her pocket, setting the unlit cigarette on the edge of her windowsill as she went to check on the young child.

At least, she _thought _it was unlit.

After all, she couldn't have known that it would spark to life.

She couldn't have known that the embers would leap to the carpet, and spread, flickering and eagerly licking the walls as they hungrily touched everything within reach...

* * *

_**[Dun dun DUN! Yep, little bit of a cliffhanger. The former Fujita thing has kind of been a little overdone in this fic, I know, but...  
**_

_**Anyways, onto reviews!**_

_**Guest: Is that a good whoa, or a bad whoa?**_

_**DestinyWing: Awesome! *fist bumps* Evanescence is one of my favorite bands. I've had Breathe No More stuck inside my head for ages. Mrrp. Anyways, here is your cookie! (:::)**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: Ah. It was pretty good, I would recommend!**_

_**You cheater. ;P And actually, I have already made a playlist. I found way too many songs that fit after writing chapter 16. I have been working on it, maybe I shall upload after I finish the actual story. ^-^**_

_**I am doing my best to try and stay away from the overdone 'alter ego' thing, it's really irritating to me how often it's done, but anyways, I'm trying to keep myself from wandering down that path! Thank you so much for letting me know!  
**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: To me more than others. xD**_

_**Yeah, I can't see GoGo being one to sit around while everyone else is freaking out. xD**_

_**Thank you so much! And no, Akuma was just a voice. Tadashi isn't ACTUALLY possessed. I considered it briefly, but then I thought 'Nah, too weird.'**_

_**HorseTechie: ...I have never heard that analogy. Kudos to you, you have truly surprised me, although I can definitely see where you're coming from. xD I cracked up when I read that.  
**_

_**That's awesome! Actually, since you have more experience than I do, if you see anything that doesn't fit with the PTSD theme, could you let me know? As a favor? If there's one thing I can't stand about my writing, it's that I tend to be very inaccurate about that kind of thing.**_

_**Eeyup! You've got an eye for the plotline, haven't you?**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: It's a possibility I'm exploring. Muahaha!**_

_**Nope, Hiro has his own pair, and Fred superjumps! They're communicating through their comlinks.**_

_**Thank you so much!**_

_**Purpalz Miner: I tried to explain that in this chapter, as well as why Fred was siding with Hiro rather than the rest of the team. See, as much as I love Fred(he's essentially the epitome of a fanboy, how could I not?), no one can be that peppy and cheerful all the time. Especially with the fact that it's been a while since the movie, I can see him having mellowed out a bit. **_

_**Tony18: Ah, see, I tried to have that laid out in a little more detail here. He's slowly coming to realize that there is no 'Akuma', there was never any 'Akuma', and that this whole time those feelings of 'possession' have really been his own decisions. Really, I think that's what's hurting him more than the actual guilt of what he's done. **_

_**Now that Hiro has arrived in Las Edo, it's really a matter of whether he'll be able to open up his mind to actually see that his little brother isn't a baby any more, and that he actually knows what he's talking about. But more on that later.**_

_**Yeah, I loved writing that bit. I crack myself up. xD**_

_**Everyone else: Thank you so much for reading! Please review, tall me how I did, and don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions or suggestions!**_

_**Oblivious Out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	21. Shards too Sharp to Put Back Together

_**[Hello, once again! I have returned, and I bear gifts! Well, gift. I wrote a new chapter. Is this a nice gift?**_

_**Anyways, in terms of the playlist I was thinking about adding, I think I'll just add one or two songs to the beginnings of the previous chapters and call it a day. I'll probably end up doing that later. Mrrp. **_

_**I'll also probably add a list of headcanons at some point, because I have so many. xD**_

_**Also, as you have doubtless noticed, I have changed the title! I apologize for doing so with absolutely no notice, but it needed to be done. The original title was intended to be temporary, anyways. Try to guess what it's from!**_

_**Anyways, here you are, please enjoy, and DON'T kill me, please.**_

_**This chapter's song is 'Breathe No More' by Evanescence.]**_

* * *

_'All the little pieces falling, shatter_

_Shards of me, too sharp to put back together_

_Too small to matter, but big enough to cut me into so many little pieces...'_

_-Breathe No More, by Evanescence_

* * *

Hiro sat atop one of the buildings outside an abandoned warehouse, blinking in the harsh sunlight.

"Seriously, little dude, what is it with your brother and abandoned warehouses?"

"I don't know. Lots of space," he mused aloud, remembering a time that he had found Tadashi almost in the middle of a panic attack... because he had stepped into their closet and almost gotten stuck there. That was when Hiro had discovered that the seemingly invincible, overly confident and strong Tadashi Hamada was, for all of his airs, extremely claustrophobic. Oops.

"If he wanted a ton of space, he should have just swung by my house," Fred replied, chuckling to himself. "Seriously, here are only four people that live at our house: my parents, Heathcliff and I. And my parents aren't even over that often."

"Maybe I should take advantage of that," Hiro joked, nudging the redhead with his elbow.

"Hey, watch it, little dude," Fred laughed, wincing. "Your elbows are lethal."

"Hey, there's a reason I don't have any weapons on my suit." The younger Hamada stopped laughing abruptly, a lone figure catching his eye, and leaned over to watch it. The face was mostly obscured by a San Fransokyo Ninjas hat—almost identical to the one Hiro had at home, minus the ash and tatters—but the slightly awkward gait from the cybernetic prosthetic made him instantly recognizable.

"Would that be Tadashi?"

"Yep."

"Where do you think he's going?"

"I don't know," Hiro muttered, straightening up and stretching his cramped muscles, "But I intend to find out. Let's follow him."

Clicking the heel of his left boot against the concrete, Hiro shifted slightly to the side, caught off balance by the sudden activation of the thrusters.

_Sometimes, I don't think I'll ever get used to this._

Regaining his bearings, the teenager propelled himself forward, Fred close behind as his boots caught the air, glinting in the noonday sun as he jumped to the next building.

"He's turning a corner," Fred replied helpfully.

"I know."

"Okay, he's heading into that alley."

Hiro frowned behind his visor, shifting just so to skid to a halt. "Why is he going there? It doesn't lead anywhere." He fished his phone out of his pocket, double checking that yes, this was his brother, then moved to the edge of the flat roof to look over, and his heart almost stopped as Tadashi's voice carried to the figure three stories up.

"I know you're there, Hiro."

Feeling an embarrassed flush creeping over the top of his ears and the back of his neck, the younger Hamada waved sheepishly at his older brother and suddenly stopped, remembering that he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Well? Are you going to come down? Or are you just going to sit up there?"

Fred turned to look at him, hands up in a sort of 'I-don't-know-he's-YOUR-mentally-unstable-older-brother-YOU-go-figure-this-out' gesture-which is a gesture that had not been used before, and likely would not be used again. Rolling his eyes, Hiro looked around for some method of getting down, his eyes finally alighting on a fire escape. He sighed, deactivating his boots as he did so. The last thing he needed right now was to trip and fall on his face, likely reopening the wound in his shoulder.

"I'll just go scope out town while you two figure this out. I don't want to intrude on a brotherly moment or something."

"You do that, Fred," Hiro muttered, almost tripping despite the lack of activated rockets on his boots.

* * *

Tadashi took a deep breath and stepped out of the warehouse, wincing as the sunlight hit something reflective and flickered across his eyes. He tilted his hat's brim, blinking a few times, then moved out of the way to get a better look at what it was... and sighed as he saw a metal helmet resting snugly on the (rather large in his opinion)head of his little brother.

"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he continued walking, as if he hadn't just noticed a superhero/runaway teenager on a rooftop. Because that would be ridiculous, right?

_I guess the only thing I need to figure out now is where this is all going to play out. _He ruled out possible meeting places in his head—no, there was too populated, that building was abandoned but probably crawling with spiders, and Hiro hated spiders... Hey, he might have not seen his little brother for a year, but some things never changed.

_There. _Tadashi glanced up, making sure the purple-clad figure and his kaiju friend were in pursuit, then turned into the alley he had spent a good four to five hours brooding in.

He stood, facing a concrete wall, then took a step back and called up. "I know you're there, Hiro."

There was silence for several moments, and Tadashi allowed himself a small smile as his little brother tentatively leaned over the edge, looking down, waving sheepishly—or rather, he assumed it was sheepishly, he couldn't see through Hiro's visor.

"Well?" the elder Hamada demanded. "Are you going to come down? Or are you just going to sit up there?"

Hiro seemed to glance back, probably at Fred, then he began to move towards a fire escape that lead to the alley. Tadashi leaned against the wall, waiting patiently as he descended three slights of stairs, and began to climb down the ladder. He winced as a soft exclamation of pain came from the purple-clad figure, and immediately moved forward to help him down, taking some of his weight as he eased onto the ground.

"I know how to get off a ladder, 'Dashi." his voice was more irritated than anything, as if it hadn't been a year since they'd had a normal conversation, unhindered by gunshot wounds, or burn scars, or bumps caused by a metal pipe across the head.

"Yes, but I feel the need to remind you that you have a gunshot wound in your shoulder."

Hiro didn't reply for a moment, obviously holding back some sarcastic comment, then took a deep breath. "I know what you're going to say."

"Oh?" Tadashi's voice was—as it had been since the fire—oddly raspy and harsh, almost breathless. "And what is that?"

"You're going to say that you're disappointed in me for deliberately disobeying you."

"Well, I am, but that wasn't-"

"You're going to say that I shouldn't have come looking for you, and that I shouldn't have put my health at risk to come find you."

Tadashi winced. "Well, yes. I was going to say that."

Hiro was silent for a few moments, then reached up to take off his helmet, wincing as the sunlight hit him head-on(pun not intended). "I want you to come home with me."

The elder Hamada didn't reply for a moment, then sighed, kneeling down to get a better view of his face. _Oh. He's gotten so much older. Not much taller, but_ _older. Yet another reminder of how much I've missed.  
_

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, why not?"

"I thought I summed that up pretty well in my letter," Tadashi muttered, then seeing that Hiro wasn't in the mood for his special brand of humor, he sobered up, taking off his hat as he did so.

* * *

As Hiro walked down the stairs, he couldn't help but notice something rising in his chest as he got closer to his older brother. Anxiety? Panic?

_What if he doesn't want to be around me anymore? What if that's the real reason he left? What if the letter was a lie?  
_

He grabbed hold of a ladder rung, wincing as he stretched his shoulder in order to cling to one of the holds. The stitches pulled at his skin, and Hiro allowed himself a soft gasp of pain(although in reality, he was forcing back a small shriek). Almost immediately, he felt a hand just underneath his shoulder, pushing his arm up just a little to give it some relief, then an arm wrapping around him as he was eased onto the ground.

Frowning, he looked up into Tadashi's concerned expression(which he could only see half of, due to a little more than half of his face being in shadows), and almost sighed with relief.

"...I know how to get off a ladder, 'Dashi."

"Yes," the older Hamada said decidedly, tilting his head as he seemingly thought that over, "But I feel the need to remind you that you have a gunshot wound in your shoulder."

_I suppose that's true, _Hiro thought, the injury aching even now. In all honesty, he had been regretting not thinking to bring painkillers. Of course, it was a little late for that now.

"I know what you're going to say," he started slowly, panicking and eerily calm at the same time.

"Oh? And what is that?"

Hiro winced at the raspy, breathless quality that his brother's voice had taken on, and forced himself not to look down, afraid of what he would find underneath Tadashi's collar. "You're going to say that you're disappointed in me for deliberately disobeying you."

"Well," Tadashi interjected, "I am, but that wasn't-"

"You're going to say that I shouldn't have come looking for you, and that I shouldn't have put my health at risk to come find you."

Even beneath the hat, which was lowered so that most of his face was in shadow, Hiro could see his brother wince. "Well, yes. I was going to say that."

Hiro tilted his head slightly, trying to see through the shadows and examine the scars sprawled across Tadashi's face, but as soon as he found Hiro looking, Tadashi turned the scarred side of his face away just enough to make it too difficult to see. In doing so, however, he revealed a small portion of the burn scars around his throat. Forcing himself not to squeak in surprise, Hiro took a deep breath, taking off his helmet to get a better look. The sunlight hit him head-on(pun not intended), and he was forced to squint as he looked Tadashi over.

The tense silence lasted for several more seconds, then finally Hiro decided to break it. "I want you to come home with me."

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, why not?" Yes, the letter had gone into detail on that subject, but Hiro needed to hear it from Tadashi's mouth, to hear him confirm it.

"I thought I had summed that up pretty well in my letter," Tadashi grumbled, amused, but seeing that Hiro wasn't in the mood for this particular brand of humor, he sighed. Casting a tortured glance in his direction, the elder Hamada finally reached up and took off his cap, wincing as the ridged skin on his left side met the harsh sunlight.

It took everything in him for Hiro not to take a step back. Not in horror, or fear, but because the sight was so... unexpected. The red-pink skin stretched from his neck to his bridge of his nose, his left eye almost closed, and the little of it that was visible a sickly white-pink. It was obviously at least slightly painful, with the way Tadashi's hand almost immediately flew to protect his eye from the sunlight.

Perhaps Hiro should have been horrified, no one would have blamed him. But to be entirely honest, he just felt... Surprised, maybe? No, not really, Tadashi had said he had been scarred pretty badly. He was initially a little startled, not by how bad the scars were, but because a small part of him was expecting to see his brother as he had been before: bright eyed, with his signature lopsided grin, confident and ready to change the world.

Seeing him like this wasn't scary, or horrifying. Underneath it all, he was still Hiro's brother. It just felt... wrong, somehow. Not the scars, but the lack of cheerful enthusiasm.

_I need to fix that._

Tadashi leaned back a little bit, searching for any sign of emotion on Hiro's part, maybe a squeak of horror, or a double take, followed by a hand flying to his mouth.

"So?"

Tadashi blinked once, twice, three times, in quick succession. "What?"

"So, what?" Hiro shrugged, raising one eyebrow to heaven.

"I don't understand."

"You said that you had summed up why you had to leave in your letter," Hiro explained, forcing back his amusement at Tadashi's shocked expression. "I understand that, but-"

"You're... not afraid?"

"Why would I be?" Hiro frowned, looking his brother up and down. "There isn't really anything frightening going on."

The elder Hamada's jaw almost dropped, his eye growing wide with surprise. "I... I guess I'm just used to screams of terror."

"Come on, 'Dashi," Hiro replied teasingly. "You may be a little grumpy sometimes, but I've lived with you long enough to know you're not a _total_ Grinch."

"That's not what I mean."

"You know, now you could go cosplaying as Prince Zuko, and no one would find you weird."

Tadashi opened his mouth to reply, but found himself lost for words. "Hiro, would you please take this seriously?"

The younger Hamada held back a sharp outburst of laughter. "Have you ever known me to take anything seriously?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe you don't know me as well as you thought you did, Nii-chan."

"Maybe I don't," Tadashi muttered, suddenly beginning to wonder if this was a good idea after all. "Hiro, please, I'm trying to make you understand..." He abruptly stopped, seeing that Hiro was mouthing along, making the strangest faces as he did so.

As Hiro realized that Tadashi had stopped speaking, shooting him a glare that could have burned twin holes in his skull, he interrupted. "And I'm trying to make you understand that I don't care. The fact remains, plain and simple, that despite all of your 'good reasons', there's one painfully obvious flaw in your reasoning."

Tadashi glanced at him with something similar to amusement. "And what's that?"

"You don't have the right to do this."

"I... what?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" The college student put his hand against the wall, leaning on it as he continued. "I thought you were supposed to be almost as smart as I am, brother dear." He paused, stepping forward and taking his hand off the wall as he got as close as he dared, eyes suddenly bright with something resembling irritation. "You. Don't. Have. The. Right."

"How dare you?" Tadashi stiffened suddenly, looking down at the fifteen year old. "I'm twenty-three years old. I'm a legal adult, and I can do what I like. If I want to leave San Fransokyo, I most certainly have the right to do that."

Hiro rolled his eyes, letting out a long breath of frustration. "That's not what I meant. You're doing this for my protection. You seem to think that you know the best for me, Tadashi, but I think we both know that's not true."

"You've never just brushed off my advice like this before," Tadashi said quietly, eye narrowing. "I _do _know what's best for you, and I-"

"No, you don't."

"You can say that all you like, otouto, but the fact remains that I'm dangerous-"

"No, you're not!" Hiro was shouting, balling his fists. He was almost in Tadashi's face, and he was aware that this wasn't appropriate for the situation. Tadashi was unstable right now, but he didn't care. He had gotten started, and he wasn't going to back down now. "You don't know what's best for me! You may be 'a legal adult', and you might be my big brother, but you're not my legal guardian!"

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Tadashi's eye grew wide with confusion and hurt. "I'm not your legal guardian, but-"

"And there's a reason for that! If anyone were to be able to make that distinction, it would be Aunt Cass or myself!" Hiro's breath was coming quick now, and he continued. "You don't know what I need, despite what you think! You're not my dad, and you can't tell me what I can and can't do."

Tadashi's voice grew very low as his brother's grew higher, and his eyes grew cold. "I may not be your father, Hiro, but I'd say I'm about the closest thing you've got."

"Oh, so what? You're going to- to send me to my room?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You haven't even been around for the past year!" Hiro was beginning to hyperventilate now, forcing back the sobs threatening to choke him. "How would you know what's best for me?!"

"I'm your older brother, of course-" Tadashi stopped, his breath knocked out of him as Hiro suddenly surged forward, his arms wrapping around Tadashi's middle. He found himself suddenly with a face full of soft black hair, and winced as his brother hugged him a little too tightly.

"_I don't need you gone, Nii-chan._"

Tadashi glanced down again, his heart pounding. _I can't let this happen. I can't go back home, I can't let Hiro get hurt again._

"Otouto..." He stopped again, feeling the teenager shaking, and let his thought trail off as he realized that Hiro was sobbing gently into his shoulder.

"_Please_, T-Tadashi." Hiro's voice grew quieter, the screams locked in his throat dying down, and it dropped to a low whisper as he choked back tears. "I... I can't lose you again. Not again."

* * *

"We have arrived in Las Edo."

"Yeah, we got that, Baymax."

The robot blinked—well, if you could count it as blinking—and landed on the nearest building, which just so happened to be a large replica of the Taj Mahal. He gently set down Wasabi first, who clutched the spire as if it were a lifeline.

"You know, this isn't much better than being in the air!"

"Calm down, Wasabi, it isn't so bad!" Honey Lemon let Baymax set her down, then straightened up, rolling her shoulders back and letting the wind blow her hair out of her face. "This feels amazing!"

"Not if you're afraid of heights," Wasabi muttered, holding the spire close.

GoGo ignored him, leaning over to look at Baymax's face. "Can you scan the city now?"

"Affirmative." Baymax seemed to look around, a slight whirring lost to the wind, then blinked again. "Tadashi and Hiro are: over there," the healthcare companion informed them, pointing towards a more run-down section of the city.

GoGo looked up, tilting her head and squinting to see the area of town. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. "There's smoke coming from over there."

"Affirmative."

"I see flames."

Honey Lemon was on her toes, straining to see. "I see a fire engine."

Wasabi sighed, reluctantly loosening his grip on the spire and returning to clutch Baymax's arm. "Well, looks like there's our next stop. I really hope Tadashi hasn't run in again or something."

* * *

If Hiro had given Tadashi a hug on this scale(bone-crushing, suffocating, with tears streaming down his face) a year ago, he could have handled it, no sweat. He was fairly certain he had gotten a good handle on how best to calm him down back then. He was the strong, morally-centered, gentle and encouraging older brother who had spent a good portion of his life doing everything he could to keep him safe.

But now, after he'd quite literally hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire, murdered a mob boss and innocent policewoman, hit Hiro upside the head with a metal pipe, tried to kill his robotics professor and, on top of it all, put his little brother in the hospital with a bullet in his shoulder, he wasn't quite as sure.

To be entirely honest, he wasn't even sure that Hiro quite knew what to do now, either.

Tadashi's arms attempted to move in such a way that it could be interpreted as a hug, of sorts, crossing over his back, and ended up in not a much better position than before. He had a sudden urge to pat Hiro and the head and say something awkward like 'There, there,' or, remembering an awkward test involving pictures on his phone, mumble 'Hairy Baby'. Of course, Hiro probably wouldn't understand the reference...

"I'm sorry, otouto."

"Please don't say that." Tadashi felt Hiro's fists clench behind his back as he hugged him tighter. "That makes it sound like you're leaving again."

_Well, crap. How can I tell him now?_

"Hiro..."

_"Hiro!"_

Tadashi looked up, startled, to his redheaded science enthusiast friend bounding to a stop in front of them. He glanced down to his brother pulling away just slightly to look at Fred through the suit. "What is it?"

Fred pulled off his(rather large) helmet, eyes wide with concern. "I hate to break up such a lovely brotherly reunion, but we're needed. _Now."_

Hiro frowned, and forced himself to let go of his older brother, trying to pretend he hadn't noticed the sigh of relief as he did so. "What's...?"

_BOOM._

His eyes grew wide, and he briefly glanced at Tadashi to make sure he wasn't going to run off. However, the elder Hamada stepped forward, placing his hand gently on Hiro's injured shoulder. "Let's go."

* * *

Hiro wasn't entirely sure what he expected. Perhaps a bank robbery, or a shooting. What he hadn't expected was an apartment building up in flames.

He took an involuntary step back, old panic rising up in him as the orange fire licked at the air, filling it with smoke and ash. Instinctively, he turned to look at his older brother, and...

"Tadashi?"

The elder Hamada was staring, open mouthed at the roaring flames. He was clearly having trouble breathing, his chest rising and falling rapidly, shaking.

"Tadashi, look at me." Hiro watched as his brother glanced down at him, then back up, then back down again before backing away.

"I... I can't... Not again."

There was a piercing scream, and, torn between his brother and whoever was screaming, he finally decided that Tadashi's life wasn't in any immediate danger and turned to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" He moved forward, placing his hand on a woman's shoulder, about 25 years old maybe. "Are you alright?"

The woman looked up, tears in her eyes, then shook her head emphatically. "My daughter!" She was barely able to keep from screaming it, saltwater pouring down her cheeks. "My little girl's still in there!"

Hiro froze, blinking once, twice, three times, then looked back at Fred, willing him to understand what he meant.

He did. Unfortunately, so did Tadashi.

"_Hiro!" _A strangled scream ripped from Tadashi's throat as he surged forward, Fred lunging after him as he grabbed his brother's arm. _"Hiro, no!"_

And Hiro was thrown back in time, to a year before.

* * *

_A building was in flames, the sharp light from the Exposition Hall contrasting against the blue-black sky. He was running up the steps, clutching his older brother's arm, terrified and confused._

"Tadashi, no!"

_And his older brother had looked back, once, eyes wide with that selfless concern, the look that from that moment on he had hated with a passion, because it was the look that he got just before he did the dumbest thing in his life. He had stood up a little straighter, determined to be Callaghan's savior, and replied quietly._

"_Callaghan's still in there."_

* * *

Hiro felt the memory wash over him in an instant, his own fear from a year previous reflected in Tadashi's eyes.

He gave his brother a small smile, swallowing his own panic.

"Someone's still in there, Tadashi."

"Hiro, I absolutely _forbid-_"

"_Someone has to help."_

The parallel was not lost on the elder Hamada. His grip loosened just slightly, and only for an instant, but it was enough. Hiro wrenched himself away from his brother, and ran into the burning building.

"No..."

"Hiro, please, _no!_"

Tadashi's breath came in short, gasping bursts, and he screamed. _"Hiro!"_

* * *

**_[Ahh, no! Hiro, don't be an idiot! Dumb autho... Oh, wait, I forgot. I wrote this. I'm a jerk. *winces*_**

**_I loved writing the part about Tadashi suddenly forgetting how hugs work. Mrrp._**

**_Anyways, here are the answers to your reviews!_**

**_Buttons and Horseshoes: Yeah, I'm partial to cliffhangers. I love them so much!_**

**_Lady Cougar-Trombone: Actually, the fire is in Las Edo. I apologize for not clarifying further!_**

**_Tears Fall: No, it doesn't matter who that lady is. She's just a little plot device I threw in._**

**_Banana Gun: Okay, so the answers to those are: I can't say, and yes, yes they do. _**

**_SkatingDJ: Actually, my friend came up with that(although in her case, it was a potted plant, not a jacket). _**

**_The Fujita isn't actually anyone especially important. I just needed some more words to feel good about the potentially extremely boring chapter. I just needed to show how the fire started!_**

**_I'm trying to subtly push him back in our direction, don't worry! Momenti!_**

**_DaydreamDepartment: Erm, the latter. She isn't that important(to the plot, at least). And I'm afraid I can't say! But thank you, so, so, much!  
_**

**_HorseTechie: No kidding. I feel old as well... And I'm really not that old. xD  
_**

**_Agreed. _**

**_That might be a little weird. Talk about a plot twist! However, it has already been done. Have you ever seen 'The Empty Child'?_**

**_Okay, thanks!_**

**_Tony18: Yeah, this story might be drawing to a close in either the next chapter or the one after. ;^; Not entirely sure how to feel about this.  
_**

**_Yeah, Fred has seemed startlingly out of character for the whole story. I attempted to explain this the best I could this chapter._**

**_As to who the Fujita and 'he' are... It really doesn't matter. To be entirely honest, I hadn't intended to make that a big thing. Although... Hm. I might have to look into this. I smell a sequel on the horizon._**

**_Everyone else: Thank you so much for reading! Please give me a review and let me know how you did-your support is much appreciated! Thank you again!_**

**_Oblivious Out~! *throws self out of frame*]_**


	22. Feel You Keeping Me Alive

**_[Hello, everyone! I have returned with another chapter, and just as a quick note, I realized that I never put a disclaimer in here. *frowns* So, um. I don't own Big Hero 6. Otherwise, I would have never killed off Tadashi. Or would I? I'm evil. Maybe I would have anyways._**

**_In order to keep the text somewhat aesthetically pleasing, whenever Tadashi is experiencing a flashback, the text will be bold. If the text is also italicized, those are Tadashi's thoughts. Sorry for any confusion, but if I put a line in between every flashback in this chapter, the entire thing would be very choppy. Mrrp.  
_**

**_Today's song for my growing playlist is 'Salvation' by Skillet, and if you haven't heard it yet, GO LISTEN. I love this song so much._**

**_Anyways, enjoy the chapter!]_**

* * *

_All alone, lost in this abyss, crawling in the dark_

_Nothing to wet my longing lips, and I wonder where you are_

_Are you far? Will you come to my rescue?_

_Am I left to die? But I can't give up on you..._

_...Crawling out from under who I am, and who I want to be  
_

_Held you tightly in my hands-why are we unraveling?_

_Was it me? Will you come to my rescue?_

_Or did I push too far when I turned my back on you?_

_-Salvation, by Skillet_

* * *

**Ash was filling the air. Smoke being involuntarily sucked in, leaving Tadashi's body in violent coughs.**

"Hiro!"

**The flames were getting higher, and _please God, no,_ ****_Hiro is in there._**

"_Hiro!"_

"Tadashi, calm down!" Fred was just barely holding him back, but suddenly, Tadashi was backing away with him, unsure of whether to run in or run away, terror on all sides, his instincts going haywire.

_I can't go in there again. The last time I was standing in front of a burning building, I lost everything._

_But if I don't go in, Hiro's lost to me forever._

_Or is he?_

_Am I willing to risk it?_

Fred was dragging him away, wincing at the sound of metal against the pavement. He forced himself not to look at the slack-jawed, tearful expression of the elder Hamada as he forcibly took him as far away from the building as he possibly could.

"Tadashi, you need to listen to me. Hiro's done this more often than you realize. He's going to be fine. Hiro's going to come out of that building, and he's going to be just fine."

Tadashi hesitantly looked up, fear etched into every line in his face. "I... I keep seeing the fire..."

"I know."

He slowly looked back to the fire, his heart thudding to the rhythm of the sirens as the fire engines finally showed, and squeezed his eyes shut, the flashbacks and panic attacks beginning to overwhelm him.

* * *

_Well, crap. Obviously, this hasn't been one of my better ideas._

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to ask for the location of the child before running in blindly, but then Hiro had never been one to think first and act later—despite his high IQ, he was very impulsive. Which led to mistakes.

Such as this one.

One would think that, after losing one's brother(or so he thought) to a burning building more than a year previous, Hiro would be a little more careful running into one himself. However, circumstances aside, he had done this a few times before. But then, he had had his helmet. And Baymax. And his team behind him.

He hadn't had an older brother he knew he had to come home to.

_I can't leave him on his own. I've gone through that, I can't let him deal with the same pain I did._

As soon as Hiro was certain that he had searched the downstairs thoroughly, he moved upstairs, calling out.

"_Hello? Is anyone in here?"_

By now, Hiro was beginning to cough, the smoke finally getting to him, and as he moved into the last apartment(it was always the last one you checked, wasn't it?), he was rewarded with the terrified scream of what sounded like a small child. Picking up speed, he ran in, picking up a small girl out of her bed.

"Hey there, we're going to get you out, kay?" The girl was sobbing, nodding as the tears streaked down her face.

"Want my mummy."

"Yeah? We're going to get you to your mother," Hiro assured her, wincing as the girl coughed, a dry rasp already at the back of her throat. "We're going to get some water, too."

"Okay."

The exit to the building—was it there, or there? He couldn't remember, the smoke fogging his vision and his mind as well as his lungs, and he almost doubled over coughing. "Okay. You know the way out?"

Nodding, the little girl coughed with him, pointing to a large balcony, which doubtless had stairs leading down. Hiro ran out, almost grinning with relief as cool air entered his lungs, and turned, only to yelp and take several steps back as a large piece of the ceiling collapsed, pushing part of the flaming wall onto the stairs.

_Not good. Not good at all._

"Fred!"

Hiro scanned the parking lot for his teammate, finally finding him with Tadashi, trying to calm the elder Hamada down.

"_Fred!"_

The redhead perked up at the sound of his name, and turned, his eyes alighting on the purple-clad figure. He also noticed the burning stairs, and bounded over immediately. "You need help getting down?"

"Get the civilian first," Hiro stammered in between coughs. "I'll just use my rocket boots." Fred hesitated, then nodded and jumped up, grabbing the two-year old and landing on the ground. He looked up at the younger Hamada, giving the thumbs up, and watched as Hiro took several steps back, into the building as he made to take a running start.

He took a deep breath, remembered too late that he couldn't breathe, and coughed for several seconds before even taking two steps.

Then the building collapsed on top of him.

* * *

_No._

_It can't be._

_It... no._

Tadashi stood, open mouthed, and in complete silence. He couldn't say a word, couldn't move, couldn't even cry.

_He's..._

_No._

The floodwaters broke through, and Tadashi felt the silent tears streaking down his face as he was vaguely aware of Fred's voice screaming for his team mate.

The second floor had completely collapsed. The ceiling had been coming apart for a little while now, but just as Hiro had taken a few steps back in order to get a running start, the walls had finally had enough, demolishing it completely. The apartment complex was little more than a shell now, a blackened concrete shell filled with burning rubble.

And somewhere, Hiro was in there.

"_Hiro..."_

His breath came in short, raspy coughs, the smoke reaching him and while it wasn't enough to damage his lungs in any way, the sobs racking his frame were certainly enough to deal his breathing a blow.

_I can't... I can't breathe._

**Smoke rolling in from the melting plastic tables, burning inventions causing them to cave in. Scorching hot metal pillars. Smoldering supports, and plaster crumbling. Tadashi was scared, and in pain, and he couldn't breathe.**

The elder Hamada let out a gasp of pain as the flashback hit him hard, and he collapsed, scrabbling at the pavement for something to hold on to, his chest tightening. He looked up, still unable to completely register the charred support beams, the destroyed ceiling and walls. The flames were still licking at the remainder of the building, and he could only stare.

_This is all my fault._

**Tadashi was screaming, screaming to the ceiling, to the stars, cursing them for everything that had happened to them. His family hadn't deserved this. Their rock had been forcibly taken from them, and replaced with a shattered mirror, constantly reminding them of their tragedy and cutting anyone who came too close. Hiro had come too close, and now... Now he had paid the price. His _otouto_ was in the hospital, bleeding out, and **_**this was all his fault.**_

Tadashi was on his knees, waves of terror and dread and grief washing over him.

_Please don't leave me here alone._

_I can't lose everything to the fire again._

**Tadashi was gasping for breath in the mirror, trying his hardest not to stare at the scars marring the side of his face with his remaining eye. The panic attack had come on fast and hard, leaving him clutching the sink's basin for something, anything to keep him standing. The only things he'd had on his being were stolen—from his cybernetic prosthetic, to the thrusters in his armor, to the clothes on his back. In the fire, the heat had scorched the little he'd taken with him, and now... Well, he didn't truly have anything now that he could rightfully call his. Everything had burned on the night of the showcase.**

_...I can't._

_I can't lose him._

_...But the fire..._

Smoke rolled off the building at the edge of Tadashi's vision, and as he looked up, tears stinging his eyes, he knew what he had to do. The only issue was actually doing it.

_I'm sorry otouto... I..._

_I'm too weak._

He felt a wave of despair as he remembered Hiro's parting remark, so horribly familiar to him, and shuddered.

_This is what it felt like, then? To lose me?_

_I'm so sorry._

_I wish I could take it back. I wish..._

_I wish I were stronger._

Tadashi looked up again, forcing himself to get to his feet, and walked forward, feeling the heat on his skin. He looked up, the smoldering bits of plaster littering the ground, and Fred looked sideways, tears streaming down his face(although Tadashi couldn't see them through the helmet).

_I kept thinking, after the flames had subsided, that I was a fool for running in there. But I think I see now._

The elder Hamada forced himself not to pitch forward, falling on his face, and forced back the last of his tears. He was terrified, and more than anything, he really, really didn't want to run in. But looking at the smoldering ashes that rained from the sky, he knew what he had to do.

_If it weren't for my idiocy, Hiro would never have become this. He's not my baby brother anymore. He's a Big Hero._

_I think..._

_I think it's about time I lived up to his standards._

"Tadashi..."

The elder Hamada looked at the redhead, eyes filled with pain. "He's still in there. Get everyone out of here."

Fred held his gaze for a few moments, then nodded, but not before briefly putting his hand on Tadashi's shoulder.

"Bring Hiro back to us."

"I wouldn't come back without him." Tadashi gave his friend a small smile, then ripped off a good portion of his T-shirt, running to the nearest fire engine and getting it nice and damp, then tied it around his nose and mouth, charging into the charred remains of a burning building for the second time in as many years.

* * *

The building was little more than the charred walls of the first floor, the ceiling and roof of both floors in piles all over what was once the floor. The flames cast threatening shadows all over the blackened walls, and everywhere was the remains of what used to be someone's homes.

"Hiro!"

The debris made the rooms almost impossible to navigate, plaster, wood, rubble piles everywhere in large heaps. The flames added made it a terrifying landscape, and for someone experiencing regular panic attacks, this was not a good thing.

_Just breathe._

_...I can't breathe._

_I need to find Hiro as soon as possible._

Tadashi was tripping over the chunks of ceiling, swearing as he did so, all the while looking for his little brother's form.

"Hiro!"

He was coughing, almost doubled over as he gasped for air, the filter over his mouth keeping the smoke from rushing into his already battered respiratory system.

_It's too much... He probably can't hear me anyways,_ he thought to himself, painfully reminded of the damage done to his throat a year ago. _There isn't much point in yelling._

Tadashi felt his throat close up and, with his heart sinking lower and lower, searched the only remaining room, with no luck.

_I can't find him. Please... no. I can't find him._

_ He's gone._

_Hiro's gone._

Tadashi almost collapsed as the realization finally hit him, and he took a deep breath, the smoke burning his lungs but he didn't care, because his best friend was gone.

_Not again. Please, not again._

And somehow, with a newfound clarity—or rather, an old, old clarity that he had lost in a fire very similar to this one—he screamed.

"_Hiro!"_

"...Ta...Tadashi?"

The elder Hamada froze, then whirled around, searching for the small, frail voice that he was only slightly certain that he'd heard, frantically scanning the debris until he heard a dry coughing. Finally, he was rewarded with a glimpse of purple, in the form of a gloved arm sticking out from a small gap between two large chunks of ceiling. Crying out, he ran towards it, pushing at the rubble on top of it.

"Hiro, I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

He didn't hear the response, as he was too focused on trying to move at least one if not both of the pieces, then he stopped as Hiro began coughing again. He stopped for a moment, reaching up to untie the filter and hand it through to his little brother when he finally heard him repeat it.

"Tadashi... please don't."

He stopped for a moment, then knelt down beside the tent formed by the rubble. "Hiro, if I don't get you out of there, you'll suffocate."

"But if you move one of the pieces of debris, the rest will come crashing down on me."

Tadashi's breath caught in his throat, and he reached for Hiro's hand. "...Right. Okay, then. Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you out."

"I know, Nii-chan..." He broke off into a coughing fit, his hand clutching Tadashi's in a vise-like grip. After he finished, he forced himself to continue. "I... I'm going to need to get to a hospital after we get out."

Tadashi gently gave Hiro's hand a small squeeze, listening with concern as he looked around, taking inventory and trying to find a way out at the same time. "Other than the debris, are you okay?"

Hiro was silent for a few moments, and when he finally replied, his voice was dripping with sarcasm, despite the all-too-obvious stutter. "Well, l-et's see. I'm s...suffocating, and the stitches in my shoulder have comp-pletely ripped through the rest of my wound, reopening it and making it almost as bad as before. I've b-been hit in the head for the th-third time in two weeks, I have several m-minor burns, my leg is stuck and, while it's not b-broken or anything, it's at a very painful angle right now. Also, I have blood dripping into my eye from a piece of wood that got me ac-cross the face. So, in conclusion," he finished, "I'm going t-to have to hazard a guess and say _no._"

Tadashi felt a shiver of horror run through him as Hiro went down the list.

"Let me see. Can you move so that I can see your face?"

There wasn't a response for a few seconds, then Hiro pulled his hand away, drawing it back into the space that he was trapped in. There was a slight shuffling, then a familiar head of black hair appeared. "That's the best I can do right now, and even with the little you can see, it's extremely uncomfortable."

Tadashi winced, then leaned over as far as he dared, trying to see the extents of Hiro's injuries through the gap. Hiro was lying on his side, his leg at an awkward angle—not so much that he thought it was broken, but clearly painful—and his shoulders tilted in such a fashion that they were both almost touching the ground. He could barely see a little bit of Hiro's face, only the bridge of his nose and a small portion of his forehead, but both were stained red.

Tadashi couldn't see much in the dark, but it was clear that his brother was bleeding, and profusely—his normally soft hair was wet with fresh blood, and he was fairly certain that he had seen a red glimmer on the ground.

"Hiro, you can sit back up now."

There was a soft sigh of relief, and the small shuffling noise returned, cutting off Tadashi's view until all he could see was black. "Okay, that's better."

"I'm sorry," Tadashi murmured sincerely, then stood up, forcing back a cough. "We need to get you out of here right now." When there wasn't a response, he took a few steps back, looking for anything that he could possibly use as a support, when he looked down.

_Oh. _

Tadashi knelt down again, pulling up the left leg of his pants. "Hiro, I'm going to hand you something, and I'm going to need you to tell me if you could use it to prop up one of the pieces of debris."

Hiro remained silent for several frightening seconds, then let out a shaky breath. "O...Okay." He hesitantly put his hand through the gap, and grasped onto the piece of twisted metal. There were a few moments of relative silence, pierced only by an occasional coughing fit from one or both of the brothers, then a soft _click._

"It fits almost perfectly under this one."

Tadashi allowed himself a smile, then leaned into one of the pieces of ceiling. "That's great. Now, I'm going to try and push the other chunk up, and I'm going to need you to crawl out. Got it, otouto?"

"...Yes."

Tadashi took a breath, coughing as he let it out, then pushed his shoulder into the piece that Hiro had placed he support under to keep it from moving. He pushed his hands into a small gap between the two largest pieces of rubble, and with all the effort he had, and his single foot planted firmly on the ground, he pushed it up and away. After a good forty seconds of this, he finally felt it moving just enough to widen the gap by a little less than a foot.

"Can you get through, Hiro?"

"I... I don't know." Tadashi could hear him struggling to sit up, wincing in sympathy as he heard a gasp of pain. "Can you move it a little more?"

"I'm... trying." Tadashi let out a soft cry as the pressure almost became too much for him, and he pushed back with everything he had.

"I think... that might be enough." From underneath him, the elder Hamada, heard pieces of plaster clattering onto the ground, and forced himself to hold his arms out straight.

"Is your leg out?"

"It was t-trapped under the piece of debris you're holding."

"Good."

After a little while, Tadashi realized he couldn't hold out much longer. "Hiro, are you out?"

"Just... about, hold on."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?"

There was a small, weak chuckle, broken off as Hiro was thrown into a coughing fit, then took a breath. "I'm out."

Finally, Tadashi moved as quickly as he could, letting the piece of debris fall back into it's original position too quickly. The first piece of rubble, the one he had only moments ago been leaned up against, was destroyed under the weight, and was reduced to a heap of smaller rocks, Tadashi's prosthetic sticking out, having miraculously survived the impact.

He reached over to grab it, and as he did so, turned to look at Hiro. As he rolled over to face him, Tadashi suddenly let out a sharp cry of horror.

"God please, no. Hiro..."

The teenager struggled to sit up, favoring his injured shoulder, eye squeezed shut as the long gash running from his forehead to his blistered cheekbone bled into his tear ducts. "I... told you, I need... t-to get t-o a hospital." His wheezing breath erupted into a sharp, dry coughing fit, and he managed to glance down as he did at the red-soaked clothing underneath his armor.

"No kidding," Tadashi breathed, forcing back tears, and quickly re-attached the long piece of metal. As soon as he had finished, he quickly moved to his brother, gathering him into his arms and holding Hiro to his chest. "I swear, that will be the first thing we do when we get out."

Hiro didn't reply, opting instead to lean his head into Tadashi's collarbone, wheezing and drifting into unconsciousness as his injuries finally took over and overwhelmed him.

* * *

GoGo maneuvered Baymax into the street, eyes wide as she spotted the fire engines. She clutched Baymax's armor as Honey Lemon and Wasabi hopped off, running towards the building. GoGo was looking around for the brothers, heart beginning to calm as she realized she couldn't see them anywhere, and moved Baymax towards... Fred?

"Frederick Lee, I swear..." Honey Lemon was livid, eyes bright with fury as she forced herself not to slap him, and this was mainly because she would hurt her hand on his kaiju suit. "Where's Hiro?"

Fred didn't respond for a few moments, only vaguely seeming to realize he was there, and finally pointed to the building.

Then it all clicked.

"No..." Honey trailed off, her expression fading to one of horror. "Please, God, no."

_No._

GoGo's vision began to spin, and she clutched her handhold even tighter.

_It can't be. Not after everything we've gone through. We can't lose him now._

"Guys..."

GoGo and Honey Lemon glanced at Wasabi's shocked expression, forcing back tears. "What could you possibly want?"

Wasabi blinked twice, then pointed to the building again. "In the doorway."

Confused, GoGo turned, peering into the indicated entrance, and felt her jaw drop.

Stepping out of the building, at his own awkward gait, a dark cloth tied around his mouth and nose, Tadashi Hamada's frame was silhouetted against the growing flames, carrying that of his little brother.

"...Baymax...?"

"Tadashi is here," the robot replied, almost smugly.

* * *

_**[Mrrp. That was intense. Well, I hope this chapter didn't disappoint!**_

_**Now onto reviews:**_

_**Purpalz Miner: YES, YES I DID.**_

_**I KNOW, IT'S AWESOME! I'M SO EXCITED!**_

_**Sydney: I'm sorry for breaking your heart! Please forgive me~**_

_**I KNOW. And no, she does not. At least, as far as I am aware. I may do something that leads to a sequel with that, but I haven't decided yet.**_

_**Thank you so much!**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: I will allow you to marry my writing. You have my blessing, and you may kiss the bride. ;)**_

_**Just kidding, but seriously, thank you so much! **_

_**asome: Thank you! I think!**_

_**Nausicaa of the Spirits: Yeah, I have an issue with deja vu. DX **_

_**DestinyWing: Sort of. No, not really. In terms of grief, kind of, but also not really. Oh well. xD**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: Maybe, maybe not. I actually considered it, as I had an amazing idea for how that would end, but I'm thinking about making an alternate ending after I've finished up. That will cause tears.**_

_**Thank you so much! Personally, I liked chapter 16 best, but that might just be because of all the opportunities for theme songs. xD**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: Nah, it's alright. I have made similar mistakes. xD **_

_**BigHeroNerd2020: OHMYCARROTSHIROYES XD**_

_**OKAY FINE I WILL UPDATE THERE (Just kidding but seriously here you go I hope you enjoy!)**_

_**BlazeSonic-Lover: That was her name in the original comic, and no, I am not.**_

_**SanctuaryInMusic: I'm glad I was able to hurt your heart.(In the best way, that is.) I also enjoy plot twists. XD**_

_**Yeah, to be entirely honest I'm not too good around fire, either. xD**_

_**#2. Yes, it was! It's alright that you didn't notice, and I realized after chapter 15 that it didn't exactly fit the story, so I have been considering a name change for a while. Also, I'm thinking about uploading some one-shots in this universe, and the 'No Room For Innocence AU' doesn't sound very catchy. Whereas something like 'Falling, Shatter AU' does. xD**_

_**NO, DON'T GO AWAY I NEED YOUUU**_

_**Th3Ph4nt0miz3r: I will! ^-^**_

_**(O-O) I will do so to the best of my abilities.**_

_**Tears Fall: Yeah, I have been thinking that for a while. 'HONOR!'**_

_**Yes, I did.**_

_**And yes, I did.**_

_**allietheepic7: Um, okay? Not entirely sure how to respond to that?**_

_**rage: Someone's living up to their username. xD I'm sorry!**_

_**Tony18: I dunno, he seemed a little low-key to me. But I suppose, looking back, he wasn't TOO OOC. I wanted to make sure, though.**_

_**And yeah, I can't really see Hiro being able to break through Tadashi's defenses without making some interesting cracks, or really, do ANYTHING without making some sarcastic comment. When it comes down to it, I think Hiro finds it hard to take a ton of things seriously. Especially when it comes to talking with Tadashi, because Tadashi's always been very open with him, and what it boils down to is a sense of being very comfortable around him. I think it would be odd, at least in his eyes, to censor what's going on in his head, especially because Tadashi has made it clear in earlier chapters that Hiro's to come to him if he has something on his mind. Thus, the sarcastic comments and being almost unable to filter his thoughts to his brother.**_

_**Yeah, I guess I was kind of evil in this chapter. XD**_

_**I'll think about it! In all honesty, though, I'm thinking that if I do anything else in this universe, I'll end up uploading a sort of file for one-shots for this universe. Alternate endings, 'bloopers', fluff scenes, etc. I can't really see myself doing an all out sequel, as that would kind of mess with the ending I have in mind.**_

_**Everyone else: Thank you for taking the time to read this! I love you guys, and your support means so much to me! Please review and let me know how I did, and if you have any particular questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to PM me! Thanks again!**_

_**Oblivious Out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	23. Rhythm of the Rain Keeps Time

**_[So, sorry about that almost-cliffhanger. Anyways, this story is coming to a close. I hope you guys have enjoyed-I'm going to post an epilogue after this, then I'll decide if I want to make a sequel. Probably not, but you never know. I might find inspiration._**

**_Anyways, as this is drawing to a close, I'm going to answer all your reviews up here for once!_**

**_Tears Fall:Yeah, I saw the similarities a little too late. Oops. I'm sorry. And thanks!  
_**

**_Sydney: Um, I don't think my writing is ready for this kind of emotional commitment. It needs a little time to think, maybe some time to work through it's feelings. It's not you, it's just..._**

**_I'm kidding. xD_**

**_Maki-Elric: THANKS SO ARE YOU_**

**_Buttons and Horseshoes: Thank you so much! That was one of my favorite parts to write. ;u;_**

**_Lady Cougar-Trombone:Nope, this is pretty much the end. No more monkey-wrenches. ^-^  
_**

**_...  
_**

**_*cries*_**

**_Banana Gun: Nope, no more tricks. It's this and then the end. I'm probably going to upload a few one-shots in this universe, though, so you might see those around sometime._**

**_DaydreamDepartment: So am I. I didn't find it so much GRUESOME as maybe concerning on both parts, but looking back, yeah, maybe it was a little bit. XD_**

**_HorseTechie: Mrrp. Sorry!_**

**_Exactly. I kind of wanted to post that one, but I figured 'Eh, that joke is so overdone.'_**

**_Aw, shucks. Seriously, I'm blushing. My face is bright red. Sort of like an angry tomato with hair. This is your fault, you know. DX _**

**_I had completely forgotten about that, actually, then I went back and looked, and lo and behold! I was laughing so hard when I reread that._**

**_Can you imagine Hiro making jokes about it whenever he's making a plan?  
_**

**_"Okay, and I'm going to need some aluminum hydride, that actuator, and Tadashi's leg."_**

**_"Hiro, no."_**

**_"What? I need it!"_**

**_CreativeWriter3: Right. 'cuteness'. *images of Hiro bleeding out under a pile of debris* ...Cute.  
_**

**_I'm kidding, I'm kidding. xD Thank you so much! *hugs* *because hugging is good for emotional pain*_**

**_Tony18: I have a feeling you can tell where this is going. ;) Yeah, I actually had quite a few scenes that I cut out because the humor did not fit the mood. Also, because while that would have been funny for a blooper reel, it would not have done too well in the actual story. Maybe after the epilogue. xD_**

**_BigHero6Fan D: I WON'T DUN WORRY IT'LL BE ALRIGHT_**

**_READ ON AND SEE, THEN. _**

**_Thank you so, so much! *hugs* *cries with you*_**

**_Everyone else: Thank you guys so, so much for supporting me all this time! I've really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you guys like this last chapter before the epilogue!_**

**_Today's song for the playlist is 'Sleep Well, My Angel' by We are the Fallen.  
_**

**_Please enjoy!]_**

* * *

_"Under the ash and the lies  
_

_Something beautiful once here now dies_

_And the tears burn my eyes, as you sit there all alone, _

_I just want to come home."_

_-Sleep Well, my Angel, by We are the Fallen_

* * *

_Beep.  
_

_Beep._

_Beep._

"...Hey, otouto."

_Beep.  
_

"I guess I should have known that you'd take a nap as soon as we got out. You've always been pretty lazy, eh? That is, when it comes to getting out of bed. That's sort of my fault this time, though."

_Beep._

"I'll have to catch you up on what happened then. Well, as soon as we came out, Wasabi started screaming. Pretty predictable, I guess, I mean...heh... he's never been one to react to stress well."

_Beep._

"Anyways, we got you to a hospital here in Las Edo. Honestly, you should have seen the face of the receptionist when she saw me carrying you in. It was priceless Then again, a flying robot carrying a superhero probably isn't the norm around here."

_Beep._

Tadashi leaned back, letting out a soft sigh as he gave Hiro's hand a gentle squeeze. "The doctor says that it's only natural that you'd be out like this. I mean, you've lost a good amount of blood... Good thing they had me here, right?"

_Beep. Beep._

"You've also been hit in the head three times in the past two weeks." The elder Hamada winced as he ran his fingertips over the bandage on Hiro's head. "You've got a major lump there, little brother. Which, I suppose, is my fault."

_Beep._

"Anyways, Aunt Cass is on her way here. She's absolutely furious," Tadashi chuckled, allowing a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

_Beep._

"GoGo called her, but only after she remembered that no one had told her that you'd gone to Las Edo. She almost got chewed out over the phone, and Fred definitely has something coming to him," he continued. "I told GoGo not to tell Aunt Cass that I'm alive... I want it to be a surprise."

_Beep._

Tadashi reached out to move a small piece of hair out of Hiro's closed eyes, frowning at the bandages covering from the middle of his forehead to the right side of his face.

_Beep._

"Promise not to tell her before I get to surprise her?"

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

"_...I'm so sorry, Hiro."_

_Beep._

_Beep._

* * *

"Hey there, otouto."

_Beep._

"It's been three days since you passed out... I was kind of hoping that maybe you'd get a move on?"

_Beep._

"Aunt Cass got here the day before last. It was hilarious—The first thing she did was slap Fred in the face and scream at him. She had no idea why you two had gone to Las Edo, but she knew that you had broken out of the hospital, and she was absolutely _livid." _Tadashi broke off as laughter overwhelmed him, tears of mirth streaming down his cheeks.

_Beep._

_Beep._

"Then I came in to see what all the noise was about, and she dropped her purse, and she was screaming for a different reason entirely."

_Beep._

"At first I thought it was because of the scars... I guess I kind of underestimated her ability to ignore things she doesn't like."

_Beep._

Tadashi was silent now, frowning, his fingers gently running along his brother's, then he sighed again. "I really shouldn't have waited so long to come back. I kind of thought you guys would find me a burden, but..."

_Beep._

"You're going to have to wake up soon, Hiro. I know you've never liked getting out of bed, but people are starting to worry."

_Beep._

* * *

_Beep._

"Hey."

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Tadashi got up from the chair at Hiro's bedside, stretching out of the position he had been in every day since the incident in Las Edo.

"The doctors thought I should have an examination done."

_Beep._

"Yeah, turns out burns take a little longer to heal than most wounds do."

_Beep._

"I hadn't actually thought I could heal from this, but actually, according to the doctors, I'm doing just fine. Third degree burns generally take a long time to heal and, while I'll always have the scars..."

_Beep._

"Heck, I've even got my voice back." Ever since the fire, Tadashi had been speaking as much as possible—to their friends, to Aunt Cass, to himself, and most of all to his little brother-almost as if he were afraid his old rasp would creep back into his voice if he didn't use it enough.

_Beep._

"They say I'll be almost back to normal in a little while. Well, other than the leg, but..."

_Beep._

"...Why did I ever leave, Hiro?"

_Beep._

* * *

_Beep._

"It's been two weeks." Tadashi was sitting on Hiro's hospital bed next to him, blinking away tears.

_Beep._

"I keep thinking that I'll walk in and you'll jump out of bed and give me a hug... It's almost physically painful when I sit down next to you and you can't respond."

_Beep._

"They're not sure when you'll wake up. They think it will be pretty temporary, but they don't have a great way of knowing for certain."

_Beep._

Tadashi leaned over, running his fingers through his brother's tangled hair, giving him a soft smile. "I know you'll wake up, though. It might take a while, but hey, you've always followed your own schedule."

_Beep._

"...I've been doing some thinking."

_Beep._

"I've been figuring, what with everything that's been happening, you're completely and totally accident prone."

_Beep._

Tadashi let out a chuckle as he went on. "Seriously, everywhere you go. If you go to a botfight, you're going to get hurt. If you go to the university, odds are you're going to trip on something and get a bruise. If you follow me around all day, even though I try my best to keep you safe, you're going to end up getting hurt. I can't stop that, and we know it."

_Beep._

"I keep thinking that everything has been my fault, but really, I can't stop everything from happening to you."

_Beep._

"I guess... The best I can do is try and help you up afterwards, eh, otouto?"

_Beep._

"So... I think I'm going to come home with you and Aunt Cass. You're going to go with me wherever I go anyways, so I might as well try and get you somewhere that I'm familiar with."

_Beep._

"So... That's it, then. I guess you finally got through to me. It took about a month, but I'm giving in."

_Beep._

"You should have seen Honey's face, she was so relieved. Well, the whole team was relieved, but GoGo was more like 'It's about time, Hamada. Now woman up and go tell your brother.' Wasabi was sobbing, and I couldn't really see Fred's reaction because he was in his suit. I swear, it's like you and your jacket almost... Which reminds me, you're probably going to want this back."

_Beep._

"I wish you'd wake up so that you can put it on. It feels so weird, seeing you without it. It's like seeing Honey Lemon without her heels on, or GoGo without her streak. It's weird."

_Beep._

"_Please wake up, otouto. For me."_

_Beep._

* * *

_Beep._

Hiro was vaguely aware of the mechanical sounds by his bed, the computerized beeping that meant his heart was beating. He felt the pressure of thin blankets on top of him, and the cold feeling of a metal bar next to his arm.

"Hey there."

_Beep._

Hiro's heart sped up just a little bit, his ears straining to hear. Yes, that was his brother. Yes, he was still here. He hadn't run off.

"It's been a little over two weeks, and Aunt Cass is eating almost everything in the cafeteria." There was a soft chuckle, then Tadashi continued. "If anyone asks, I'm blaming you. Mainly because, indirectly, this is sort of your fault."

_Beep._

Hiro felt inclined to respond, but found he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes fully, opting instead to leave them half shut, drowsily gazing in Tadashi's direction. The elder Hamada wasn't even looking at him, staring off into space as he held his brother's hand.

"We're trying to get them to move you to a hospital that's closer to the cafe. Aunt Cass is having one of our neighbors keep an eye on Mochi, but we can't keep this up much longer. We need to head home soon," Tadashi said quietly, closing his eyes. "It's about time I slept in my own bed for once. Rooftops aren't exactly my thing, you know?"

_He's... He's coming home?_

_Tadashi's coming home?_

"Oh, by the way, I got a closer look at Baymax's upgrades. Not cool, bro." Hiro almost winced at the irritation-or was it amusement?-creeping into his voice. "You have my robot sassing the entire team. Which, while funny, is not fitting for a healthcare companion."

Hiro closed his eyes again, taking in the sound of his brother's voice, then opened them again, finally finding the energy to open them fully, to discover Tadashi's hands clutched tightly around one of his own.

"You have to wake up soon, Hiro. I've missed you."

_Beep._

Tears were trickling down the elder Hamada's cheeks, his shoulders shaking with emotion, gently squeezing his brother's hand.

Finally energized enough to respond, Hiro squeezed back, allowing himself a small smile.

"I've missed you too, Nii-chan."

* * *

"I've missed you too, Nii-chan."

Tadashi suddenly froze, the pressure around one of his hands tightening and then relaxing again. He turned to look at his formerly comatose brother, and felt the tears flowing with renewed vigor.

"You're awake."

"Barely. I'm still exhausted, but... How-"

Hiro's response was cut off by a sudden weight on his chest, by Tadashi's arms tightening around him as he leaned over to hug him. "You're okay."

"...I'm okay."

This time, it was Hiro who was uncertain of how to handle a hug, awkwardly patting Tadashi's arm as if to say 'Okay, yes, I acknowledge that you are trying to be affectionate towards me, now I have to ask you to please let go of me'. Taking the hint, Tadashi sat up, awkwardly wiping his eyes with the edge of his sleeve.

"Sorry, I just..."

"No, I understand," Hiro replied, propping himself up on one elbow. "You said I was out for a little over two weeks?"

"Just about." Tadashi suddenly snapped to attention. "Aunt Cass will want to know you're awake."

"She's here?" The younger Hamada suddenly looked slightly ashamed. "Crap."

"Oh come on, Hiro. You've taken on worse than one of Aunt Cass' tongue-lashings."

"No, actually, I haven't."

"And you probably won't for a while," Tadashi said thoughtfully. "She did say that you were going to be grounded as soon as we got home."

"We?" Hiro tiled his head, making sure that he was correct in his assumption.

"Yeah, we. Don't look so surprised, otouto," Tadashi replied, a sparkle in his eye. "I guess I kind of came to realize you're going to get yourself hurt whether I'm here or not. I may as well stick around to try and fix you up afterwards."

"You _are_ coming home, then?"

"Of course. _Someone's_ got to make sure you don't go running into any more burning buildings."

"Hey, the only reason this happened was because I didn't have my helmet."

"Because you couldn't be bothered to go back and get it," Tadashi argued. "If you had gone back first, you wouldn't have had this problem."

"But by then-"

"Okay," the elder Hamada interrupted, putting his hands up in surrender. "I guess we'll pick this up another time. I don't want our first relatively normal conversation in more than a year to end in us screaming at each other."

"You never scream," Hiro pointed out. "Ever."

"No, I really don't," Tadashi chuckled, leaning over to rumple his little brother's hair. Then he stopped, a thought striking him. "Unless, of course, you run into a burning building..."

"_Tadashi."_

"Okay, okay, I'll stop."

Hiro reached up to push his brother's hand off of his head, grinning and about to make a comment about another burning building a year previous, then felt himself pulled into another hug.

"Augh, Nii-chan. I'm injured."

"Don't care. You've been out for two weeks, I've been worried sick, and I'm going to hug you whether you like it or not."

Giving up, Hiro let out a long breath of exasperation, letting Tadashi hold him close for a good five seconds before pulling away again. "Okay, that's enough affection for one day."

"No such thing, otouto," the elder Hamada said teasingly, reaching out to ruffle his hair again.

"Hey, I spent a good two minutes on this."

"You haven't been able to do anything with your hair for two weeks, you liar."

"...You know what, Tadashi?"

"What?"

Hiro threw a smile in his older brother's direction, then leaned back into his pillow. "I missed this."

"Me too." Tadashi let out a long breath of contentedness, and returned the smile. "By the way, I never got to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Nah, never mind, you wouldn't want to know. You've had too much affection for one day," the man once known as Sukochi replied teasingly.

"Tell me, Nii-chan!"

"Fine, but only if you let me hug you."

While the younger Hamada silently debated whether it would be worth it, Tadashi reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the folded jacket that he had intended to give his brother two weeks back.

"...Fine. You can hug me."

Rolling his eyes, Tadashi grinned and leaned over, pulling his brother into his arms, then draping the unfolded garment around his shoulders.

After several seconds, Hiro looked up, something between bemusement and amusement lingering on his expression. "...Are you going to tell me?"

"Oh, it was just..." Tadashi felt a smile pulling at his mouth, and pulled away, taking off his hat and placing it on Hiro's tangled hair. "I was going to say... Thanks."

"For what?" The hat was far too big, and fell over Hiro's eyes. He reached up to take it off and hand it back, only to find his brother placing the original one—the one that he was fairly certain he'd left in San Fransokyo—on his own head, and giving him a grin.

"Thanks for not giving up on me."

* * *

_**[So, yeah. The chapter title is not from**_** _the playlist song, _**_**brownie points for the person who can guess the song that the title is from!**_

_**Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this so far! There will be an epilogue, and possibly a blooper reel... Unless I decide that I will make a sequel after all. Let me think about it, I'll get back to you guys. I have so enjoyed writing this for you guys. Please read and review, let me know how I've been doing! **_

_**Until next time,**_

_**Oblivious out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


	24. Epilogue: Trees Change in the Fall

_**[Hello again! This will be the conclusion to ****my story... My baby. ;A; It hurts to see this go. Oh well.**_

_**Anyways, I will have a bonus chapter after this, and I will let y'all guess what that's going to be. **_

_**Once again, the reviews are up here because of the aesthetic.**_

_**Tears Fall: Whoa indeed. **_

_**stuffandthingsco: I am making a bonus chapter, but I dunno about the sequel. I'll keep it in mind, though!**_

_**SomebodyAwesomeSauce: Thank you so much, and I am glad I could smash your feels. xD And so am I. I have never written anything of this length before. **_

_**SYDNEY: SHE'S IN A LONG BLACK COAT TONIGHT WAITING FOR ME IN THE DOWNPOUR OUTSIDE**_

_**I KNOW  
**_

_**THANK YOU SO SO MUCH AND YES JET PACK BLUES**_

_**Buttons and Horseshoes: *breathes heavily with cat***_

_**I am sorry for dumping the beach in your eyes! xD **_

_**I'm thinking not doing the blooper reel, however, there will definitely be a bonus chapter. I shall leave you to guess what that is. xD**_

_**DaydreamDepartment: I know. It's weird. I usually don't write happy endings. If I were in my usual mood, Hiro would have died. Hm. I guess I'm not as evil as I thought.**_

_**You're so, so welcome! I loved writing it! ;U;**_

_**Lady Cougar-Trombone: Thank you so much! I will!**_

_**Tony18: Thank you so much! ;U; **_

_**No kidding. And so did I. This story is more than 100 pages on OpenOffice, and I had no idea that it would be even close to this long. I mean, I have written longer, but I was shocked. xD**_

_**Me too, and I will definitely keep writing!**_

_**Sarnakh the Sunderer: Yes, I was. Muahaha...**_

_**Everyone else: Thank you all so, so much for sticking with me all this time, throughout my grammatical issues and my Writer's Block, and dealing with my inability to write at some times. xD**_

_**Please let me know how I've done, and thank you so much for reading. I love you guys so much!**_

_**So, here you go! Today's playlist song is 'The Best Day' by Taylor Swift. I know, I know, Taylor Swift is not a huge favorite. Deal with it.**_

_***sobs*]  
**_

* * *

_" His strength is making me stronger_

_God smiles on my little brother_

_Inside and out_

_He's better than I am..._

_...Now I know why all the trees change in the fall_

_I know you were on my side_

_Even when I was wrong_

_And I love you for giving me your eyes_

_Staying back and watching me shine."_

_-The Best Day, by Taylor Swift_

* * *

"_Hiro Hamada, you are so grounded."_

"I'm sorry, Aunt Cass."

"I'm beginning to think 'I'm sorry, Aunt Cass' is my actual name, considering how often you say it."

Tadashi watched all of this from the chair beside Hiro's hospital bed, forcing himself not to crack up. Hiro kept glancing at him, with this sort of 'Help me' expression, and Aunt Cass had her signature concerned/terrified/furious look that she got when she would pick them up from jail.

"Well, what else can I say? I wish I had told you before that Tadashi was alive, but you wouldn't have believed me. Speaking of which," Hiro continued, his voice rising in volume, "Why is it that I get grounded, while Mr. Stabby MacBurn Victim here gets off scot-free?"

Tadashi winced, then shook his head. "I'm 23, otouto. Aunt Cass can't exactly ground me."

"Is that really what you think?"

Looking up at Aunt Cass, the elder Hamada felt himself shrink into his chair, feeling almost physical heat from the coals that bore a vague resemblance to her eyes.

"You really think that just because you're a legal adult, I still can't ground you?"

This time, Hiro cast his older brother a smug grin, then abruptly stopped as the fiery gaze swept his way.

"So, let's make something very, very clear."

The brothers waited in silence for the inevitable tongue-lashing, then almost jumped in surprise as their aunt pulled them both in for a hug, squeezing them maybe a little bit tighter than she should have.

"I love you both so, so much."

Tadashi and Hiro shared a bemused glance, then smiled and returned the hug.

"We love you too, Aunt Cass."

"And while I may love you, if you _ever _do something like this again, never again shall you see the light of day."

* * *

"So? What do you think? I've been designing it since I got back from the hospital, so that's... what, two month's worth of work right there? More? Anyways, I figured..." Hiro trailed off as he saw the expression on his brother's face, and looked at him, concerned.

Tadashi blinked a few times, turning as he examined his reflection. "It's... Well..."

"What's up?" Hiro sounded almost anxious, his eyebrows coming together as he frowned. "Did I not get the sheaths for your energy darts down? Do you think the paneling should be thicker?"

"No, no," Tadashi hurriedly assured his brother. "That's fine. It looks fine. It's just..."

"Yeah?"

"Isn't white Baymax's color?"

Hiro stared at his brother for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. "You really had me worried there for a moment. Yeah, I just haven't added the coloring yet because I didn't know what you wanted. I can do that later, I'm just kind of focusing on whether it works, how you think the tech works, and whether the suit actually fits."

The elder Hamada thought for a few moments, then got an idea. "Maybe you could put a little more padding on the shoulder and bicep area?"

"I suppose so. Why would you want to do that, though?"

"I just think it would look better."

"You mean, you intend to use the suit as a pickup line, and you think that more padding on the shoulder area will make you look more muscular than you actually are."

"Maybe," Tadashi admitted with a chuckle. "I mean, it's not as if I have a lot going for me in the facial area, so..."

"Well, I wouldn't know, but I have a feeling one of our team members thinks otherwise." Hiro looked up at his startled brother, and forced himself not to laugh.

"What are you talking about? Who?"

"Oh, no one. I promised I wouldn't say."

"Hiro..."

"It's just... I heard GoGo saying that she personally thought the scars made you seem more rugged."

Tadashi blinked, and forced back a ridiculous grin. "Oh, did you?"

"It might not have been a compliment."

"Probably not."

"But it might have been."

"I guess."

"You know what this means?"

Instantly, Tadashi felt his cheeks growing hot, the tips of his ears suddenly turning scarlet. "Don't you dare."

"I guess I'll have to ask." The younger Hamada was throwing his brother a devious smirk, whipping out his phone.

"Hiro-"

"Just to be sure, you know, because as a scientist, I generally have to be sure of everything..."

"Not a step further."

Before Tadashi could stop him, Hiro had tapped GoGo's name on his contact list, and called her, raising the phone to his ear. "Hey, GoGo?"

Immediately, his older brother's face was hidden in his hands, the little Hiro could see colored bright red.

"Yeah, was it you who said that Tadashi's scars made him more attractive?"

"Please shut up, otouto."

"Uh-huh. Thanks, I just needed to win an argument. Bye." Pressing the decline button, Hiro cast his brother a satisfied smirk. "It was intended as a compliment. Although, I'm pretty sure she didn't mean for you to hear that."

"What makes you think so?"

"Oh, she just sounded a little flustered. Someone's got a crush, and I don't mean me."

"Shut up. Right now."

"So, returning to our previous topic," Hiro replied, a grin still plastered on his features, "what color would you prefer?"

"I was thinking maybe black," Tadashi said thoughtfully, and blinked in surprise as Hiro glared at him. "What?"

"You can't do that, Dashi!"

"Why not?"

Hiro rolled his eyes, as if it were obvious. "We're the good guys. We can't wear dark colors. It messes with the aesthetic."

Tadashi raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What about Batman?"

"Batman's different. You can't pull off the Batman look."

"No, I can't," Tadashi admitted, laughing. "How's green?"

"Wasabi's kind of already got green," Hiro replied apologetically. "Try again."

"Hm. I guess orange, then?"

Hiro frowned. "Doesn't that seem a little morbid, considering...?"

"Maybe a little, but most of the other colors are taken."

"Fair enough."

* * *

"Isn't the view great, Tadashi?"

"Hiro. If you say another word, I swear, I'm going to push you off."

Hiro leaned back, smirking at the sight of his older brother clutching Baymax for dear life. "Baymax would catch me. And I thought you weren't afraid of heights?"

"I'm not. I'm afraid of falling."

"Mhm. So that's heights, fire, and confined spaces."

Tadashi threw Hiro a shaky grin before returning to his previous position. "I'm actually not afraid of fire any more—not after going to get you out of there."

"On the other hand, I am now terrified of fire."

"That's what you get for running into a burning building, knucklehead."

Hiro was rolling his eyes when a thought struck him. "We're going to have to change the name now."

"The team name, you mean?"

"No, Dashi. I mean my own name."

"Pity," Tadashi replied, grinning. "I have personally always liked your name. I helped pick it out myself."

"Of course I mean the team name. I just hope Fred doesn't push for 'Fred's Angels' again."

"That sounds painful."

"It was."

Tadashi laughed, reaching out in an attempt to ruffle Hiro's hair, only unable to do so because of the fact that he was latched to Baymax's arm.

"There was no evidence of physical injury when Fred presented his 'Fred's Angels' idea," Baymax corrected, reaching out a little to pull Hiro closer, thus granting Tadashi the opening he needed to attack his brother's hair.

"We know, Baymax."

"It's just an expression?"

"I guess so," Hiro responded, laughing. "In a sense."

Tadashi rolled his eyes and finally felt secure enough to sit down normally. He winced as his leg scraped against the metal turbine, and sat next to his brother, his arm firmly wrapped around Hiro's shoulders. "Okay, I'll admit it."

"Admit what?"

"The view_ is_ pretty great."

"What did I tell you?" Hiro winced as one of the orange-gold plates on Tadashi's forearm dug into his skin, and adjusted his position accordingly. This ended up in a more awkward position than the first, and finally, Baymax took over, lifting the brothers into his embrace.

"What- Baymax?!"

Hiro laughed at Tadashi's bewildered expression, and flashed the robot a grin.

"Baymax, Tadashi needs more hugs."

"No, I don't," Tadashi cried as Baymax moved to wrap his arms around the elder Hamada again.

* * *

"Baymax?"

Hiro had gone up to bed, exhausted from the day's events and his classes—the classes that Tadashi had not returned to, and likely would not do so at any point in the near future. Having instructed the younger Hamada to get his sleep or he'd always be five foot two, two of his three caregivers were in the garage, taking off their armor and upgrading the scanners in Baymax's helmet.

"Yes, Tadashi? How may I be of assistance?"

Tadashi hesitated to respond, then finally, in his warm tones that he had lost for too long, ventured to ask. "You said that Hiro was your patient. What... What did you diagnose him with?"

Baymax blinked once, then responded in what almost sounded like a sad voice. That is, as sad as a robot could be. "My first diagnosis, from his neurotransmitter levels, implied that he was experiencing mood swings, common in adolescence. Thus, he was diagnosed to simply be experiencing puberty."

Tadashi almost choked on the sudden laughter welling up in him, only able to imagine the moment of diagnosis, the faithful healthcare companion listing the symptoms, and the rising blush in his brother's cheeks.

"That was his first diagnosis? Was there another?"

"Yes," Baymax confirmed. "While my original diagnosis was correct, I later learned of your death—or rather, disappearance. After a discussion with Hiro, I diagnosed him with depression, due to personal loss."

Tadashi slowly nodded, thoughtfully biting the inside of his lip. "And the treatment was...?"

"To apprehend the man in the mask, formerly known as Yokai, now identified as Professor Robert Callaghan."

"Did it work?"

If the plush robot could have smiled, Tadashi was positive that he would have. "Affirmative. Bringing your supposed killer to justice led him to realize that you would have wanted him to continue living his life, and thus has resulted in a steady increase of neurotransmitters since then. I can officially confirm that Hiro's affliction has been successfully cured."

Forcing himself to hold back tears, Tadashi nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. "Thank you, Baymax."

"Hiro is my patient. I am only doing as I was programmed to do. What you programmed me to do," Baymax elaborated.

"I know. I... Thanks anyways, Baymax."

"Courtesy demands that I reply with 'you are welcome'." Baymax tilted his head, blinking. "I cannot deactivate until you say that you are satisfied with your care."

Tadashi nodded again, smiling. "I know. I..." Tadashi paused, then grinned at the robot.

"I am satisfied with my brother's care."

* * *

_**The End**_


	25. (If you liked the ending, DO NOT READ)

_**[I know I only posted the last chapter recently. I know you guys like happy endings. I don't give a flying carrot. (Yes, I said carrot). Thus, I present you with this. You're welcome. I'm not answering reviews this time, because that messes with the aesthetic way too much. There isn't a playlist song either.  
**_

_**I hope you guys know how much I loved writing this. It made me feel epically evil. Muahaha.]**_

* * *

The room was dark, concrete walls almost black with shadows. The single light bulb in the room was barely enough to cause said shadows, but with every gang member crowded around it, it was almost sufficient.

"We were fine before Yama, we'll be fine now. We just need a few days to get everything in order."

"God knows his murderer's going to pay, though. We aren't letting him get away with offing our benefactor."

A young woman with black and pink striped locks rolled her eyes, the silver hoop in her nose glinting in the dim light. "What's the point of that, though? It'll just waste resources. It's not as if he took anything. He'll get his due from one of Yama's. They don't need our help in ruining this guy's life."

"But helping in a revenge killing might get us on their good side, Emiko."

Said woman leaned back, her hands laid flat on the table. "But why would we want to be on their good side? Cash? We can get that ourselves. The only reason we ever tolerated Yama was for the action, and I think the vacuum he's left will snuff any of that for a while."

"I guess that's true," one of the other women at the table admitted, running a hand through her purple bangs. "After what happened with Yama, though, most of the gangs are lying low for a while. They're not exactly giving up, but you'd think they'd be able to man up and face it."

"Yama was a big figure in the underworld," Emiko reminded her comrade. "The fact that a guy with a knife managed to finish him off has made everyone else realize they're not invincible. Who knows whether this hit list includes anyone else?"

"You could be on there."

"I doubt it," the young woman scoffed, her wheels clicking against the concrete floor as she skated around to the other side of the table. "And if so, he's got another thing coming to him. Fujitas don't give up without a fight."

"Don't you think we should find some, I don't know, insurance or something?" The offending young woman flinched as her leader's glare hit her. "I mean, not that we need it. But just to be sure."

"What kind of insurance are you implying?"

The young woman hesitated for several seconds before replying. "...There's a rumor."

"About? Spit it out, Sakura."

"About a man who has a grudge against our little assassin."

Emiko glided in Sakura's direction, finally skidding to a halt in front of her. "And?"

"He's going to the leaders of most of the major gangs. He's already taken over Yama's, and has somehow formed an alliance with Asuma's," Sakura replied quietly.

A spark of interest leapt from one geisha girl to the next, and excited murmuring broke out.

"I didn't know they had formed an alliance."

"It's not common knowledge yet."

"It will be soon. You should have said something sooner."

"I needed your attention first," Sakura explained. "This man has sworn vengeance against the man who killed Yama."

"What for?" Emiko's eyes narrowed behind her pink and black bangs.

"No idea. I'm going to assume it's a personal thing. Anyhow, he's calling for alliances from all corners of the city."

"And you think we should join him?"

"I think that Asuma has surprisingly good judgement," Sakura said quietly, her eyes glinting in the dimly lit room. "If he trusts this man, it would be beneficial to all of us to join with him."

"Say we do, then," a younger woman from the back of the room said in a loud voice, rolling to the table. "Say we ally ourselves with this man and his salvaged gang. What then?"

"He's promised monetary benefits," the purple-haired woman replied easily. "And plenty of action. He intends to use the underworld to find Yama's killer, and he needs a good sized network for that."

"What else?"

"Protection."

Emiko raised an eyebrow. "Our cooperation for some money, some fights, and insurance that some guy who managed to off a fat man in a sweatsuit won't kill us?" She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "We can get that ourselves."

"Not exactly," Sakura gently corrected. "The amount of money is pretty great. And the kind of action isn't just some light jitterbugging—it's full scale war."

"Against who?" Emiko's eyes grew wide, and her gang leaned in to catch Sakura's reply.

"Against Yama's killer. And against the Big Hero 7."

"Big Hero 7, eh?" The younger woman who had challenged Sakura earlier let out a sharp bark of laughter. "You have fun with that."

"Are you saying we aren't strong enough, Jasmine?"

"I'm saying that, diminished as we are, we won't be able to stand up to them on our own—and we _will_ be on our own." Jasmine looked up at Sakura, eyes glittering with amusement. "I'd trust Yama's gang about as far as I could throw them."

"So we impose a draft. Get our sisters back. Plenty of action there, right?"

Emiko nodded slowly, then sighed. "I guess we'll have to take a vote, then. All who aren't in for this deal, raise your fans."

A total of three young women, including Jasmine, raised their fans high into the air.

"And all in favor?"

The amount of fans raised high, metal spokes gleaming, obscured the light so effectively that the concrete walls were black.

"There we are then," Emiko said quietly. "So, let's go and bring home our...admittedly unwilling prodigal sisters then, shall we?"

* * *

_**COMING SOON **_

_**Put on Your War Paint: A Falling, Shatter Sequel**_


	26. AUTHOR NOTEDo You Wanna Build a Robot?

_**[Hello, everyone! In order to make this Author's notice a little more interesting, I'm also adding a one-shot from earlier that I wrote...**_

_**But, essentially, the purpose of this chapter is to let you know that the sequel has been posted. Have fun reading! The title is 'Put On Your War Paint', and it is the conclusion to the Scorched AU.**_

_**So, here's the one shot, and it does take place in this universe, although it has almost nothing to do with the actual plot. Have fun reading!]**_

* * *

**T**adashi was grinning as he practically spun around the kitchen, singing at the top of his lungs-a pastime that he had grown accustomed to when no one was home. Currently, he had a particular song by Katy Perry stuck inside his head, and while he would never sing it in front of everyone(for he was a man, and men do not sing such things, or at all, in public, and certainly not at the top of their lungs), the cafe was empty.

Aunt Cass had asked him to do the dishes while she was grocery shopping, and while he was eager to do so, the silence had become almost unbearable-thus the singing. Hiro was at school, and would be home in about half an hour, which was precisely how long it took him to walk home. He always missed the bus, and while Tadashi usually volunteered to pick his brother up on his moped, for the past few weeks, the younger Hamada had insisted on walking home.

Not that he was uneasy-_Who are you kidding, of course you're uneasy, he's an eleven year old wandering San Fransokyo on his own-_but he was always eager for the moment his brother walked through the door, safe and most certainly not dead.

Not that he worried about that, anyways.

As the scrub brush went over a particularly annoying patch of what looked like caramel, Tadashi finally gave into the impulse to be as ridiculous as he possibly could, raising the brush to his mouth and singing into it like a microphone, twirling as he sang the chorus at the top of his lungs.

_"I've got the eye of the tiger! A fighter! Dancing through the fire, 'cause... I... _um..."

Tadashi trailed off, eyes suddenly growing wide as his gaze landed on the form of his little brother, standing beside the stairs, mouth open as if to say something. It slowly closed again, too awestruck at his brother's complete and utter ridiculousness to comment.

"...Hiro, I can explain."

"You are the biggest nerd I have ever met." Hiro was forcing back laughter, obviously unsuccessfully as tears of mirth threatened to stream down his cheeks. "The. Biggest. Nerd."

"I thought you weren't going to be home until..."

"I caught the bus for once," Hiro choked out, hands flying to his mouth.

"Would have been nice to know," Tadashi grumbled, giving his brother a look that could have drilled holes in his head, and finally it was too much.

Hiro burst out laughing, doubled over as he absolutely cracked up. And the utter nonsense of the situation was such that it eventually infected the older brother, and Tadashi joined him on the floor, laughing his head off.

"Don't... Don't tell Aunt Cass," Tadashi wheezed.

"I-I'll do my best."

Finally, after several seconds of trying-and failing-to catch their breaths, the brothers got up off the floor, Hiro retreating to their bedroom as Tadashi finished the dishes in silence.

* * *

Tadashi quietly walked up the stairs, only for the door to swing open before he could touch the doorknob.

"Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" Hiro's voice was almost cross, a single eyebrow raised as he put one hand on the doorframe.

"I didn't think I could."

"That's complete crap, and you know it."

Tadashi felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. "Then why were you laughing?"

This time, Hiro had to smile. "Because that has to be one of my least favorite songs of all time, and I was just thinking that I never wanted to hear it again. That, and you were singing it quite loudly."

"Maybe I should sing more often," Tadashi teased, ruffling his brother's hair as he walked into their room. In response, Hiro only rolled his eyes and walked over to his desk, fingertips barely grazing Megabot's hard casing.

"Don't get carried away. You're not a Disney Princess."

"Aren't I, though?" Tadashi cleared his throat, then put his hands on Hiro's shoulders as he stepped behind him.

_"...Do you want to build a robot?"_

"Don't you dare," Hiro warned, seeing exactly where this was going.

_"Come on, let's go and play..._

_I know you say that 'playing's' such a bore_

_You won't do it anymore,_

_'Cause you're too old today!"_

Hiro leaned back in his chair, looking at his older brother with something between amusement and irritation, and finally sighed and turned around. Tadashi didn't take notice of this however, caught up as he was in his lyrics.

_"You know you're my best brother-_

_Even if you're my only one_

_And the logic behind that sucks!"_

Hiro finally let himself laugh, remembering the conversation they had had only a few days ago regarding that term- '_You're my favorite brother!'_

_"Do you want to build a robot?_

_It doesn't have to be a robot."_

"Okay, okay, stop," Hiro finally said, laughing. "I'll build a robot or something."

"Good," Tadashi replied smugly, satisfied with the response. "If singing is what it takes for you to show me some affection, I will gladly do so."

* * *

**H**iro was asleep on his desk. Again.

In the meantime, Tadashi was sitting on the couch, watching in concern as Hiro let out a long, drawn out snore.

_That can't be a comfortable position._

Hiro had been up all night working on his Microbots, tweaking them and perfecting them until he was almost satisfied with the results. There was the issue of Microbots conducting electricity too well for his liking, but that was an issue that he swore he would resolve after five minutes of rest.

It had been two hours since then, and Hiro was sleeping like a baby. Well, no. If he were sleeping like a baby, he would be kicking and screaming as any mother will confirm.

He was sleeping like a rock, and in an extremely odd position.

Having had enough, the elder Hamada stood up, striding across the room to shake his brother's shoulder. "C'mon, otouto. You can't sleep like that."

Hiro stirred briefly, then let out a soft moan. "...Five more minutes, Dashi..."

"You can sleep upstairs."

"Don't want to."

"I'll sing."

"Don't you dare," Hiro replied sleepily, eyes still squeezed shut.

In response, Tadashi only cleared his throat.

_"Do you want to build a robot?"_

Hiro's eyes snapped open.

_"Or hang out in the expo hall?_

_I think some company is overdue,_

_I've started talking to  
_

_The plaster on the walls," _ Tadashi sang quietly, wincing at the memory of cursing said plaster as he banged his toe against a wall that he had somehow missed. Hiro forced himself to sit up, giving his brother a glare as he motioned for him to stop.

However, Tadashi had gotten started, and would not be stopped.

"_It gets a little boring, just watching you sleep,_

_And watching the hours tick by..."_

"Dude. You've been watching me sleep?"

"Only for a few minutes."

"That's creepy."

"Oh, go get in bed, genius."

* * *

**T**adashi let his legs-or rather, leg-swing back and forth as he sat in the tree. The cherry blossoms had long since faded and fallen, having become nothing but mushy, wet petals on the asphalt not two yards away from the tree.

Much farther away, several rows of gravestones sat in their orderly lines, as if mocking the tree for it's impermanence. Life lasted for but a moment. Death was forever.

In one of the closer rows sat the single empty grave, the one that contained the ashes of a building and not a body, and signified the death of a man who sat in the nearby tree.

Standing in front of said grave, a lone figure stood, ignoring the rain trickling from his sodden hair down the nape of his neck to his back. He was clutching a plain black hat with the San Fransokyo Ninjas symbol, saltwater mingling with the raindrops on his cheeks.

There, Hiro Hamada stood in front of his brother's grave

And it broke Tadashi's heart to see him like that.

_I'm sorry._

_I wish I could come home, I really do._

_But you don't want me like this. I'm not the same person who ran into the fire. I..._

_I'm sorry, Hiro._

_"...Hiro... I'm sorry... I know you're hurting."_

The figure was kneeling now, fingertips running over the smooth stone that should have been several feet above his own head, that _could_ have been above his own head had Callaghan not dumped him on the side of the road by the nearest hospital.

That headstone would be the only thing that Hiro would be able to talk to, and it would never be able to replace the head of black hair that he so loved to mess up, and laugh in it's owners face as he struggled to put it back in place. It would never be able to replace the sympathetic brown eyes that looked into his own, silently telling him that all would be okay, to please, please not cry.

_"I wish I could tell you where I've been._

_I need you to have courage-and I know you're trying to..._

_I wish I could be there for you..."_

Tadashi remembered watching through the cameras in their room, watching the footage of his brother and best friend refusing to speak to anyone, even Aunt Cass, and the floodgates opened for the older brother as well.

_"Please... let them in..."_

Tadashi was sobbing now, drawing his legs closer to himself as he cried, hugging himself as he did so.

_"I wanted to protect you... And now look at you_

_Hurt by my own mistakes..."_

Tadashi almost couldn't finish it. It hurt too much, but he remembered how the song went, and forced himself to choke out the last line before breaking down again.

_"...Do you want to build a robot?"_

* * *

_**[Once again, I remind you that the sequel is up. It's called 'Put On Your War Paint'.  
**_

_**I hope you have enjoyed reading, and I will see you in the net story! **_

_**Oblivious Out! *throws self out of frame*]**_


End file.
